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Social Learning Theory Application on Bullying Phenomenon

Sylvia Joseph
Misr International University, Egypt

ABSTRACT
This paper aims to examine the social learning theory
utilization in countering the bullying phenomenon in
DOI: 10.18775/jibrm.1849-8558.2015.66.3001 Egypt. The paper investigates the consequences of
bullying on mental and emotional health of the bullied
URL:https://doi.org/10.18775/10.18775/jibrm.1849-
8558.2015.66.3001 person. The purpose of this research is to shed light on
the bullying incidents happening in Egypt and its
Keywords:
relationship with the social learning theory.
Media theories
Social learning
Bullying phenomena
Digital media

1. Introduction is sufficient if their behavior points to something

There has been several theories that shed light on why assertive.
people behave the way they do. (Bandura, 1971). The Besides, if the aggressive behavior drives them to what
social learning theory is broadly kenned as social
they aspire, therefore they will assume assertive
cognitive theory. Driving with defining what social
learning or cognition implies, it is only said reasoning behavior. The aforementioned explains the Bobo Doll
about circumstances and social issues. (O’Rorke, experiment that were performed on three groups of
Social Learning Theory & Mass Communication, young children aged from 3 to 6 years old and was split
2006). into three groups: the quiet group, the aggressive group
The notion of social learning theory that was first and the control group all supporting the same
introduced by Albert Bandura in 1971, is that people experiment with different levels of imitation to the
acquire aggressive tone, so according to this opinion, offensive process through verbal and nonverbal
belligerence is a result of learning. Based on this actions. (Dr. Saul McLeod, 2014). Another study stated
theory, people can determine invasion in two ways: on that people may learn aggressive behavior from parents
one hand, personalities can start to try out aggressive or rivals, yet, they can learn the equivalent from the
behavior themselves. If they were compensated for it media or video games. (Alshobramy, 2019).
then there is a good prospect, they will do it repeatedly. Moving on with the most crucial features in social
On the opposite hand, if they were not remunerated for learning theory is the process the children stock what
it, they sway not to do it again. Furthermore, people they acquired about aggression in their consciousness,
may see others make offensive behavior and emulate following on, to control their behaviors and get aside
them; consequently, they discover that aggressiveness from an obstacle or struggle they were endangered too.
In other contents, if they remarked that this kind of

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offensive might solve their situation they’ve been into, approved agreement upon the definition of bullying.
this may result in aggressive behavior when they get (Sameh, 2017). A definition of bullying broadly is “a
into struggle states later on. (Zaky, 2017). That desire to hurt or execute a negative action” it came
describes when children develop in a coercive through many genres and types as verbal abuse,
environment, they discover that violence and physical aggression, or relational victimization.
aggressiveness are standard and that it is standard to A widely spread phenomenon in Egypt within social
use aggressiveness when dealing with other media, traditional media, and even in daily life
personalities. This sort of learning behavior can reveal, communication in work, clubs, schools, different
for example, why children who are harmed by their people suffer from several acts of bullying.
parents can sometimes behave aggressively too This study shed light on the social learning theory,
because they’ve learned that behavior when they were testing whether the environment of the bullies and the
young. way they have grown up affects their behavior, and
Throughout this paper, we will examine the social cause them to bully others Alfred Adler- an Australian
learning theory utilization towards countering the psychotherapist and founder of the school of individual
bullying phenomenon in Egypt and how this result in psychology; settled another perspective. He explained
the ridden person's cerebral and emotional health. The why the students clearly behave that way. He
objective of this research is to shed light on the bullying considered the reasons in which could encourage the
cases happening in Egypt and its connection and students to behave in many ways and categorized them
application on the social learning theory, and how the as: excessive attention, misguided power, revenge,
media have dealt with this phenomenon (O’Rorke, assumed incompetence (Sameh, 2017).
Volume 25, Fall 2006). Another study used qualitative research to test the
social learning theory in appropriation to cyber
2. Review of literature offending, provided sustenance for the influence of
The theory of social learning by many researches has SLT on behavior. More particularly, the study supports
been tested and limited by other researchers while the idea of virtual peers’ interactions and their special
exerting it to a more extensive level. It is rising with the impact on the individual’s behavior. Other studies
strengths and weaknesses of Bandura’s Social learning pointed to the importance of virtual peers in offending
theory (SLT). Additional studies showed these pros behavior as computer hacking and social media
and cons in two identifiable divisions; the first one is offending importance of virtual peers on offending
demonstrating the concrete reinforcement; if the action behaviors related to computer hacking and social media
is being compensated or supported by others, there is a offending stated in offending comments. (Miller,
prospect to be repeated. The second category is 2014).
punishments, from a negative aspect, offending or Social learning theories dealt with the understanding of
wrecking others. (Alshobramy, 2019). which indicates how and why individuals act that way and how they
that as social learning is necessary it is a double-aged form an affectionate attachment, adopt gender roles,
sword; the ones can imitate an unenthusiastic or make friends, or hate the other and bully them, from
concrete action and can’t be controllable whether he is testing the modelling and imitation model of SLT.
stimulated enough to mimic that action or not. Besides, (E.S.D.P.D.2016) Researchers have found negative
this guides us to examine more recondite at the aspects and boundaries of the social learning theory.
diffusion of cultivation theory and the assumption of The main point of negativity is that observational
reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior to learning won’t work if ALL the following factors
understand one’s perception, attitude -behavior aren’t present: attention, retention, reproduction, and
connections including the level of adoption towards motivation. (Pros and Cons of Social Learning Theory
what he observes. (Fackler, 2014). in Business, 2019). This indicates that people can be
Moving on with the interpretation of bullying, similar mindful of something, but that doesn’t imply they are
to many other phenomena in psychology, there is no motivated to adopt it.

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Consequently, social learning theory can’t work on its values of their choice and retention on their life.
own to experiment whether the individual has Respectively on brutality and bullying practices
embraced the idea or not. There is a requirement to through personal and interpersonal communication in a
implement the cultivation of adoption theory along more painstaking expression handle aggressive
with the theory of reasoned action and the theory of behavior, and even cyber offending through social
planned behavior which presumes that behavior is networks. (Miller, 2014)
influenced by attitudes and grasped social measures to That motivates us to look farther on the social media
get accurate results. (Megan A. Moreno, 2013) technologies and how it has changed the way the social
There are constraints of the theory from the behavioral communications occurred and the social capital have
aspect. Firstly the estimation assume that the person been performed within our world as by enhancing and
has obtained the resources to be successful in improving the cognitive processes of attention,
completing the desired action and has neglected his memory, and motivation, social media presents
intention to perform this specific action. Further, it principles for enhancing learning in a social context.
dismissed the other factors that could affect his (Deaton, 2015). Albert bandura has declared an
behavioral modifications such as fear, threat, mood, or influential selection towards his theory saying, that
past experiences; also it didn’t take into account any “Comparing yourself with others, presents you a
environmental or economic factors that may affect the believe in vain or bitter, for always there will be a more
person’s purpose to implement such action. The numerous and a more subordinate person than oneself.”
hypothesis doesn’t consider any change and it believes (Bandura, (1986))
that it is just a consequence of a linear decision-making
process, the theory rejected any form of control over 4. Suggestions for application in Egypt
the behavior, last but not least the time frame between With the accelerated addition of technology and social
"purpose" and "behavioral action" is not discussed by networks, social media appeared to be the second life
the theory. (Jake Morris, 2012) that we perpetually escape to subsequent a long tiring
day at work. We surf the internet or our social networks
3. Theoretical framework account, interacting with our social capital and getting
Throughout this paper, we will be measuring the social exposed to many incidents a day.
cognitive theory beyond behaviorism. Particularly in Fresh incidents of bullying occurred on social media,
correlation with the bullying phenonium happening in starting with Sherif Mounir- actor- case when he posted
Egypt. Abundant outcomes were believed by Bandura photographs of his two young daughters. He got
on individuals on their surroundings as their numerous offending comments on the way his
environment had on them (Cherry, 2019). daughters are dressed. which strike him at the end to
Moreover, Bandura theory reconciled with behavior close all his social networks, and made an offending
theories, which recommended that all behaviors are a report to the police with all the screenshots he took, to
learning process, and that children are like a sponge inflate awareness that he has the rights to post whatever
that perpetually imitate what they see or what they are he wants on social media without being annoyed. He
flashed to, bringing into account psychological stated that if people need to comment- as they regarded
influences such as attention and memory, in which him as a “Public Figure” and this gives them right to
represents the reciprocal causation. (Cherry, 2019). intervene in his life- they could have said what they
That proposes a research question of how social want in a behaved manner, not to offend and ridicule
learning theory has a consequence on human behavior him and his daughters. (Sherif Mounir vs the Internet:
in vague, and in particular towards bullying How Far is the Hate Willing to Go?, 2020).
circumstances, that he follows whether from perceiving A similar incident occurred with Shady Serour- the
the act in regular life activities or the media, including famous Youtuber who decided to suicide after all the
theatres, movies, series and social media practices. repugnant comments he got on the content he presented
Complying the behavior as their childhood and the on social media. (Ali, 2018) . Another occurrence

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passed with a girl turned to be transgender. They maybe from the norms and values they have been
shocked her to death until she committed suicide, when exposed to and learned in their childhood. Social
Nour took her side they provoked him too, and many learning theory can be used to understand why they act
adverse comments were raised in this incident which this way, why they offend each other.
occurred on social media. (Farouk, 2020). To sum up, if we study the media exposition of bullying
Other celebrities have been bullied by the populace like incidents, we will realize that those people who have
Salma Abu Deif labelling her as a flat girl, Asser’s been exposed to this kind of movies or series are
Yassin wife tyrannizing her as being ugly and not following the same way they’ve watched which define
attractive enough to be a wife of a celebrity, Shaimaa a further looking for both theories the adoption of
seif was being bullied as being overweight - Logina cultivation theory and social learning theory to
salah at the commencement of her career as a makeup understand and shed the light on the cause of such
artist was bullied for having vitiligo. Hence the media behavior and the reason behind the bullying
has raised awareness about how this bullying happenings.
disturbance affects one’s health and by a series by
Jamila Awad to raise awareness of vitiligo and how 5. Recommendation for future research
women are all beautiful in any look, (Jamila Awad Social learning theory needs to be examined within a
creates “Ina Ana” and her story of bullying and broader concept, as researchers need to examine the
“Vitiligo”, 2020). reason behind the individual’s behavior and take into
There have been other cases that were looked upon account the cultivation of adoption model along with
positively and weren’t offended like Rahma Khaled, the theory of reasoned action, to get more profound
who is a professional athlete, and the first Egyptian results of the reason why the individual do the act of
with Down's syndrome to be a TV presenter. (Tawy, bullying. Furthermore, it is vital to realize that social
2018) learning theory has four manners: attention, retention,
A striking act has been seen from the government when reproduction and motivation. The theory doesn’t test
they close Reham Saeed Show “Sabaya El Kheir” after the level of adoption and how far it has been cultivated
talking about the oversized girls and was bullying what the bullies watch and imitate. Another suggestion
them, saying they look ugly. (Controversial T.V. host for future research is to work on the limitation of the
Reham Saeed probed for insulting ‘obese women’, social learning theory and reflect the purposes and the
2019). Moreover, H&M raised a campaign against reasons behind doing a specific act.
bullying women with the plus-size model to raise
awareness that beauty comes in each shape, further, Conclusion
their report examined and upheld over gender-based While social media have become a wide phenomenon,
violence. (Faisal Bin Majid, 2018) it is hard to comprehend how people share norms and
The media presents bullying in complex aspects as values and to what extend they have been mirroring
pointing to overweight as something to laugh about, each other. There is a need for more studies and in-
while celebrities like Shaimaa seif, who is using her depth interviews to apply the theories of SLT and the
obesity to gain social capital. Bullying doesn’t happen cultivation of the adoption model in order to
only online but it happens offline too- as labeling the understand the bullying phenonium. Mass media need
Chinese person and associate him with “corona” (One to create awareness campaigns to contending the
of 3 men who bullied Chinese person as 'corona' bullying phenonium. There have been Egyptian drama
arrested, 2020) efforts that handled the issue of bullying as “Except
All the previously mentioned incidents can be me” – that advance women empowerment and fights
explained within the frame of social learning theory, to bullying. Besides, the ironic shows that take the
explain why those offenders and negative commenters bullying act as a joke needs to be censored and looked
are bullying others. Their performance can be based on upon from a wider perspective, how it would reshape
what they have recognized throughout their life, or the viewers and in what level they will negatively

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imitate the actors. If these instructions have been /www.verywellmind.com/social-learning-theory-

applied in the Egyptian media as mass, we will be 2795074: https://www.verywellmind.com/social-
noticing a change that advocates and respect any learning-theory-2795074
person without even considering his gender, color,
weight or any particular case he is occurring. Deaton, S. (2015). “Social Learing Theory in the Age
of Social Media”, Journal of Educational
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