Jay Cutler & Bullying

by Larry McCoy, MS

But, you are wondering what does Jay Cutler of the Bears have to do with bullying?

Well, follow this:

Much has been written about the prevalence of bullying in our schools.  Bullying in public schools is a hot topic. Once thought of as a part of childhood, this topic has given way to much publicized teen suicides, issues of cyber bullying, and overall school safety.  It has begun to change the public's opinion.

• The American Justice Department bullying statistics show that one out of every 4 kids will be bullied sometime throughout their adolescence. 
• 46 percent of males followed by 26 percent of females have admitted to being victims in physical fights as reported in one report of bullying statistics by the Bureau of Justice School.

School bullying is now being cited as one of the reasons for increased school dropouts, lowered attendance, increased suspensions and academic failure.

Recently, a growing body of research has looked for reason why some kids are bullied more so than others. What was found was that bullied kids have body language that  attract bullies.

Researchers know that some kids who get bullied tend to broadcast via their body language that they don't feel good about themselves. They don't make eye contact, they slouch and look downtrodden, and they seldom smile and look happy.  Their silent behaviors scream in the ears of potential abusers and bullies.

The Jay Cutler Connection; Jay Cutler may be the victim of Bullies

Much has been written about Jay Cutler's body language..." The full Jay Cutler Body Language Experience was on display Thursday night in Green Bay. Moping, anger, pointing, disappointment, cockiness, slumped shoulders, disinterested, and an outright surrendering demeanor was seen at crucial times in the game.

We know that some kids who get bullied tend to broadcast via their body language that they don't feel good about themselves. They don't make eye contact, they slouch and look downtrodden, and they seldom smile and look unhappy.

As with our schools system, the NFL system has bullies also. In the NFL there are offensive players and there are well paid bullies, called defensive players. Their job description calls for them to victimize their opponents, and especially quarterbacks.  They are like sharks in the water, when they smell blood (insecure, unhappy, distressed, quiet, withdrawn, passive,) they attack more aggressively. They look for behaviors and body language in which their jobs are made easier by victimizing insecure opponents. 

"Heard some talk out of the Bears: Packers secondary not working coverage, bigger receivers ... we heard about it," Woodson told ESPN's Rachel Nichols after the game. "We understand that Jay is excited about his new weapons, but it's the same-old Jay. We don't need luck; Jay will throw us the ball." "I mean, the proof is in the pudding. You see the way the game went tonight ... he threw the ball to the defense," Woodson said of Cutler.

As I sat watching last Thursday's Bears/Packers game, at one point in the game, Jay Cutler, was shown on the sidelines striking a slouchy and downtrodden pose. I thought to myself and said to others watching the game with me, "... Cutler has the worst body language of any player in the NFL". And the more I thought about it in the context of trust and leadership, the more I was reminded of the power of our body language to either build or erode trust in relationships.

Jay's body language is empowering bullies. He appears to say I am anxious, insecure, unhappy, and distressed. And perhaps Jay's most prominent response is his volatility. The stress and emotional consequences of being bullied could make it difficult for him to regulate his emotions. As with kids who are bullied, he loses his temper, overreacts, argues, and display inappropriate responses to adversity.

Unfortunately, unlike kids who are bullied and face the negative consequences in solitude, Jay’s body language hurts his entire team. His body language affects not only his play, but it also empowers the Bear's opponents who can smell blood in the water and uses that aggression against the Bears at critical times.

..."Sport is as much psychological as it is ability. Feed your teammates negativity, bad things happen, and the wheels fell off the bus quick for the Bears.

Marshall drops a touchdown pass he normally snags, Forte twists his ankle. The next time the Bears look at the scoreboard, its 23-3 and they are down and out both physically and mentally.

The Packers did what they had to do to take the Bears down. Dominate the D line, get to Cutler, and break him down until he beats himself.  (Aaron Fink." Football Nation, Sept. 14, 2012)

There have been many proposed remedies for body language and its effect on the school bullying problem, but ultimately, more emotional intervention and public awareness is needed in our schools to address this horrific problem. As far as Jay, “use the power of our body language to either build or erode trust in (team)  relationships".

Go Bears!