According to data collected by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, about 30% of all children studying in middle and high school were at least once in a semester bullied, or acted as bullies themselves (National Conference of State Legislations). The methods of bullying may differ depending on a social and gender group (thus, boys usually choose more direct forms, such as physical abuse, whereas girls prefer to spread gossip and act in other non-violent ways), but they all have at least one common effect – increasing the social isolation of a victim. At the same time, when asked about the reasons standing behind their inappropriate attitude towards victims, bullies have little or no reasonable explanations.
At the same time, psychologists have distinguished several psychological traits which are shared by the majority of bullies, regardless of the country they reside in. Thus, bullies most often possess either a manipulative and reserved, or an expressive and active type of personality; they are concerned about their own interests, finding it difficult to see circumstances from the perspective of other people