Why Cannot Bullying be Stopped: Focusing on Junior and Senior High School Students’ Social Power Structure

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the reasons why junior and senior high school students can act as a deterrent to bullying among themselves, and the reasons, if any, why the students act as a deterrent to bullying among themselves. This paper, along with the social power theory, investigates the fact that the social power of junior and senior high school students can be classified into two types: "achievement and compassion" and "appearance and cheerfulness." Firstly, "achievement and compassion" synchronizes with higher moral standards against bullying, but on the other hand, "appearance and cheerfulness" does not synchronize with higher moral standards against bullying. Secondly, "achievement and compassion" does not influence the standard among groups with stability. By contrast, with "appearance and cheerfulness," influence on the standard among groups is acquired through winning the group’s support. In conclusion, "achievement and compassion" with higher moral standards against bullying does not easily become dominant in the cultures of the current junior and senior high school students. Therefore, the possibility that higher moral standards against bullying are accepted in the group is lowered. As a result, it is difficult for students to act as a deterrent to bullying among themselves.