Kids learn their first life lessons at home. Parents have the biggest impact on their behavior in the early years. Often, the foundation of their characters are molded by what kind of behavior they are exposed to when they are young. 

 

Parenting is such a difficult job that carries big responsibilities. Having a dysfunctional family is detrimental to one’s emotional development. 

 

Parenting Styles Associated to Bullying Behavior

 

Excessive Punishment. When a kid is subjected to excessive physical or verbal punishment, it becomes the norm for them. From their perspective, the person who inflicts the pain is the person holding power. Thus, making them want to hurt another person to show dominance over them in the future

 

Humiliation. A moment of mistake would be a chance to teach a child values, not an opportunity to humiliate children. Stress and frustration builds insecurity. Later on, wanting to conceal such insecurity can develop bullying behaviors as means to display power.

 

Lack of Affection. Being disconnected with parents means not having the guidance they need to grow emotionally. Lack of empathy leads to inability to understand other people’s emotions, making it easier to say hurtful words or do damaging deeds without remorse.

 

Spoiling. A child is a parent’s greatest treasure. Sometimes in wanting to shower their kid with affection, they give in too much to unreasonable and often impractical requests. This produces children who don’t know how to handle rejection. 

 

Spoiled children lack discipline and believe that what they want should be top priority. Bullies usually don’t understand that what they do is wrong because they only focus on their desires, not considering the harm they do to those around them.

 

Another notable concern is that these kids don’t understand the concept of consequences for their actions. They only assume that they can get away with anything as long as they have their parents around.

 

Showing a Bad Example. Parents are not perfect, but as a role model of a child they need to be extra mindful of what they see in you. Kids are beings of imitation, they learn more of what you show, rather than what you tell them. 

 

How to Improve the Situation

 

Most kids displaying bullying behavior are actually victims of bullying in an earlier setting, or lacked necessary emotional skills to develop healthy relationships with their peers. It’s important to acknowledge the child’s social environment in diagnosing the problem.

 

As parents, bear in mind that it’s never too late to change for the better. Take a step back. Listen to your child’s needs. Be better role models. Enough love and commitment can turn things around. 

 

Make sure to address issues from the roots. Both you and your child must face the consequences of your previous actions but the most important thing is to commit to make things better.

 

Professional Help

 

To help you better understand the mental and emotional factors involved in your situation, mental health counselling centers offer support in creating a healthy mindset. When things feel like getting out of hand, it’s reassuring to have professionals guide you through the process. Everyday Empathy, a counselling agency in Hong Kong possesses such trustworthiness.

For more information, visit:Everyday Empathy