Assessment is, of course, a vital part of education, but the stakes attached to these tests are way out of balance when such a limited and
imperfect measure of achievement counts for more than all the assessments of all the students» teachers,» says Orfield.
Recent theoretical work suggests that bullying might arise out
of early cognitive deficits — including language problems,
imperfect causal understanding, and poor inhibitory control — that lead to decreased competence with peers, which over time develops into bullying.14, 15 A small number
of studies provide circumstantial evidence that such a hypothesis might have merit7: 1 study found a link between poor early cognitive stimulation and (broadly defined) inappropriate school behavior, 16 and another found cognitive stimulation at age 3 years to be protective against symptoms
of attention - deficit disorder at age 7 years.17 A study
of Greek children found that academic self - efficacy and deficits in social cognition were related to bullying behavior.18 A large US national survey found that those who perceive themselves as having average or below - average academic
achievement (as opposed to very good
achievement) are 50 % to 80 % more likely to be bullies.8 Yet these studies are based on cross-sectional surveys, with the variables all
measured at a single point in time.