Do Your Children Exhibit Bullying Behaviors When They Interact With Others [One Minute Feature] - Trace Embry

Today, bullying is a big issue, and with the advent of the internet, you no longer have to be anywhere near other people for them to bully, humiliate, or intimate you.

While parents may naturally want to protect their children from bullying, they may also want to keep an eye out for bullying behaviors in their own children. Maybe it’s time to ask ourselves if our kids appear to be bullying others.

How to React to Bullying Behaviors From Your Own Children

It can be difficult to get along with a bully. Have you considered that your children might be engaging in bullying behaviors themselves? If you are concerned about this, ask yourself a few questions. Does my son frequently act on impulses? Does my daughter take whatever she wants from her siblings? When my son makes a mistake, does he assign the blame to others? Does my daughter rarely show empathy? Keep in mind that some children, especially boys, will use their physical presence and stature to intimidate their peers, while others, especially girls, will use tools like popularity or appearance to bully.

Remember, before we can correct a bully’s bad behavior, we first have to identify that behavior. If your child has been bullying others, spend more time with him or her and cut down on video games, television shows, or films that depict violence. Reinforce the good, loving, and empathic behaviors that your child exhibits, while exposing his or her bullying behaviors. And be sure to be consistent as you assign consequences for incidents of bullying.

Picture provided by: Pimkie