Within a group of bullies, there is rarely complete consensus on the cruelty being inflicted. However, group cohesion is maintained through a shared fear of rejection or inversion—where a bystander fears that if they do not participate, they will become the next target. Joining the abuse acts as a protective shield and a declaration of loyalty to the dominant faction. 3. Shared Secrets and Mutual Complicity
The psychological overlap between bully bonding and . Share public link bully bonding
Online communities that tolerate bully bonding eventually drive away constructive members, leaving only the bullies and their targets in an escalating spiral of hostility. Within a group of bullies, there is rarely
Prosocial bonding also allows for . In a healthy group, if someone starts to target an outsider, others feel safe saying, “Hey, that’s not cool.” In a bully-bonded group, any such objection is seen as a betrayal. Prosocial bonding also allows for
In family systems involving narcissistic parents, siblings are often pitted against one another. To survive parental cruelty or neglect, siblings might bond intensely to protect each other. Conversely, a parent may form a bully bond with one "golden child" to scapegoat another sibling, forcing the favored child to participate in emotional abuse to maintain their preferred status. Schoolyards and Peer Groups