Bullying Month: Is Your Child a Bully?

Wait! Don’t close the page! I know you can’t believe it would be true, your child would never be a bully. This a natural reaction, and I’m not saying you’re wrong. But just listen to some tell tale signs to reinsure that your initial reaction is right. You’re still here? Great! Let’s begin.

1.Acts Aggressively and Blame Others
What’s your child’s reaction when you ask them to stop doing something wrong? Do they listen? Do they continue their action? Or do they blame someone else? If they continue to act wrong and aggressive (physically or verbally) towards you or other people, or can’t take responsibility for their actions, they might be a bully. In my experience, bullies are naturally very aggressive people and act aggressively all the time, whether it be in or out of school. So it is not crazy to see them acting aggressively towards you or someone else at home.

As for blaming others and not taking responsibility, this is simply related to empathy. Bullies often don’t know they are hurting other people because they might lack the maturity that is needed to be empathetic. Don’t worry if this is the case, empathy can be learned, and most bullies eventually become empathetic!

2. Friends
Are their friends loud and aggressive? Are they mean to other children? Your child might be doing the same thing. Why? Well a common reason might be your child sees these kids as popular, and sadly, sometimes a child will do anything for popularity (if your child sees popularity as important this is most likely the reason). Anyways, whatever the reason, looking at how your child’s friends act is a good indication of how your child acts.

3. New Stuff
Did your spot your child with a fancy new gadget or/and money? How did they get that? The myth of bullies taking other children’s lunch money is really not that far off. To simply put it, part of bullying is taking things from the child you are bullying. Whether it be lunch money or a new iPod, if your child mysteriously has new toys they might have bullied a child for it. So be alert, and look out for new toys or extra cash that’s in your child’s possession.

4. In Trouble at School
Does it seem like your child spends more time in detention and the principle office than in class? Are they often in trouble?  If this is the case, there’s a reason for them always being in trouble! One of those reasons might be bullying. I’m not saying it's always bullying but it's a common reason for a child to get in trouble. To find out why they in trouble go talk to a teacher or the principle.

What if you don’t get a call from the school to tell you your child is in trouble? Or your child doesn't say anything? If this is the case, see if your child comes home from class at sporadic times each day. If they do, it could be a good sign of your child getting in trouble. Why is that? Well it could mean your child was in detention one day, but not in detention another day. Simple right?

Okay, that’s it. So what now? I think you should see if your child is following any of these signs. Than tune in next week to see what actions I think you can do to stop your child from bullying.

Thanks for reading,
David

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