This is a popular misconception, and it's likely due to the fact that the loser stereotype is easy to accept. It gives us a reason for why the bully is bullying. He's bullying because no one likes him and he's angry about it and wants to force other kids to be his friend, however misguided that may be.

Remember Skut Farkus from A Christmas Story? He was a classic loser bully with cold eyes, braces, a mean face, and an evil laugh. That violent arm twisting he did to Ralphie and his friends looked painful and humiliating. It's no wonder Skut had only one friend.

But the loser bullies are actually few and far between. Studies conducted by leading bullying researcher Dan Olweus show that bullies possess high levels of self-esteem and can be as popular as their non-bullying peers. This phenomenon is likely caused by the bully being periodically reinforced for his aggressive and hostile behavior by a small group of his peers.

This reinforcement fuels the bully's sense of power and self-worth. Add to this mix the glorification of violence on television, in video games, in movies, and in music and they, too, can reinforce the acceptance and approval of the bully's actions.

Some of the most popular movie bullies have proven to be popular, often well-liked characters. Johnny Lawrence, the king of the Cobra Kai in the 1984 movie The Karate Kid was a handsome, popular (yet vicious) bully. Andrew Clark, the “jock” in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, was a popular athlete who bullied a weaker student and caused serious injury. And Regina George, of the 2004 movie Mean Girls, is a hot, popular girl with a mean streak a mile wide; but still, all the other girls want to be her or at least be friends with her.