Social anxiety has been stereotyped as being shy, being the wallflower, and being submissive. A recent study just proved otherwise; bullies, whether in school or at the workplace, may just underline a deeper form of social anxiety disorder.

This has just been backed by a recent study conducted at the George Mason University, where study authors Patrick McKnight and Todd Kashdan identifies a subgroup of sufferers who act out their disorders at an aggressive way because behavioral patterns are just too complex. Results of this study are published in Current Directions in Psychological Science.

They found evidence supporting the claim that those who acted with too much violence, substance abuse, and other aggressive behavior were the same adults who have been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. Misconduct was often seen as an antisocial tendency but if we were to look closer, the motives behind underlies an uncontrollable fear of social rejection, and extreme anxiety is just manifested by a show of aggression, violence, substance abuse, and sometimes psychological abuse. They feel that they derive satisfaction and positive experiences from it in the short term, though it can get way out of hand in the long term which can only compromise their quality of life.

Parents and teachers, including work colleagues, think that this is just a simple behavioral problem because of an unresolved conduct disorder or antisocial tendency. What people need to think is that when they actions are shown outward, too often it’s the grave fear of misjudgment and rejection. If this is the case, then it’s a different social anxiety disorder requiring a different set of intervention unlike the usual.

Researchers also suggest that identifying the root problems of antisocial behavior is the key to understand how these people struggle to interact within society.

“It’s the same thing with bosses, co-workers, friends, and romantic partners. Since we all don’t know the underlying cause, it’s easy to jump into the conclusion that it’s a simple misunderstanding or that aggressive behaviors are just the culprits. Evidence then suggests that for a large minority, it’s the social anxiety that’s causing all the trouble,” notes Kashdan.

Given this new development, further studies are then required to help psychologists find alternative treatments or ways of intervention that will tackle the concealed social anxiety. Study authors suggest that the way to start is to look into willpower and self control. “Laboratory experiments have established that people can be trained to enhance self-control, inhibit impulse, and further control emotion. In essence, it’s going back to the ways of learning self discipline. It can mean controlling eating habits, or finances, or physical work routines, because once willpower is improved, self-control naturally follows to inhibit violent tendencies, substance abuse, or other abusive tendencies that harm their external social spheres.”