The dynamics of bullying

We have a situation in our neighborhood and I'm trying to understand the dynamics of it and why it keeps happening.There is an 8 year old boy (Michael) that lives down the street from us and is quite the bully. He has a trail of victims throughout the neighborhood.What normally happens is that Michael will be playing with Child A. Child B (normally a friend of Child A or another kid in the neighborhood) will start playing with them. For the first few days, Michael plays together with both Child A and Child B. Michael then starts saying mean things to Child A and telling Child B that Child A lied about something, or is stupid, or boring, or something else. And Child B then starts treating Child A the same way. Child A ends up being ostracized, while Michael continues to play with Child B. Child C will then join them. Everything is fine for a short period of time, and then Michael and Child C start bullying and excluding Child B. Child D then joins the for a few days, and Child C is eventually excluded. Unfortunately at that point, Child A is so hurt by what Child B did that their friendship never really recovers.Sometimes if Michael's current friend/ future-victim is on vacation or unavailable for a few days, Michael will circle back around. He'll start playing with Child A or Child B again and then drop them as soon as his friend du jour returns.If Michael sees Child A or Child B or another former friend playing at someone else's house, he'll go over there and start playing with their new friend, inserting himself into the group and eventually separating Child A or B from their new friend. One family in our neighborhood actually fenced in their backyard so that kids basically had to be invited to play in their yard.He's cycled through at least 7 kids in the neighborhood in the year that he's lived here. (In the winter months nobody really plays together outside.) And I think that he's doing the same thing at school and during their after-school program.My son (age 7) and I were talking yesterday and he mentioned that Michael was really mean. He then told me that Michael also convinces the other kids to not like people. He told me that it's what happened between him and his friend Sarah last year. He went along with how Michael treated Sarah because he didn't understand what was happening, but now he sees what Michael does to people.So my son now fully understands what is happening. And a few other parents have told me (unprompted) that their kids had similar experiences and now just avoid Michael. I've used this as a learning experience for my son. I've asked him to remember what it felt like to be treated like that and never do the same thing to someone else. I think my son is a much more loyal friend now because of this experience.But I'm curious about what it is about kids like Michael that gives them so much power. Why are other kids so willing to do what he wants them to do? And why do they allow it to happen a second time? (My husband refers to Michael as 'catnip for friends' -- people gravitate towards him and then crazy things happen.)Does anyone have any insight?​ via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2QQtzUu