Causes of Bullying, Bullying Behavior in Bullying Child

Are parents to blame for creating a bullying child and planting seeds of bullying behaviors? Learn about the causes of bullying.

A parent writes: It seems to me that kids are bullying and taunting more these days than I remember when I was young. Why is that? Is there something that parents are overlooking that is planting the seeds for this widespread problem?

Causes of Bullying

The roots of bullying behaviors dig deep into the fabric of our culture, setting the stage for a host of responses our children learn from an early age. Intolerance and discrimination are two long-standing cultivators of bullying, especially when kids are confronted by obvious social or racial differences between themselves and others. When these distinctions lessen, as in many suburban communities, some children refer to other areas to polarize and foster antagonism. Areas such as athletics, academics, appearance, popularity, habits, attire and a myriad of others become the grist for the "judgment mill" that quickly separates the "haves" from the "have-nots." Certain kids call attention to these distinctions and reinforce them by inflicting pain upon those whom they deem lacking.

Bullying Behavior Linked to Social Intolerance, Low Self-Worth

Parents may mistakenly believe that their child is not prone to such social intolerance. This is because many pathways to bullying behavior fall outside of parental awareness even though they are apparent every day at home:

Intense sibling conflict leaves children ripe for enacting similar social conflicts. The callous and mean-spirited bullying behaviors fueled by negative feelings towards one's sibling(s) seeks expression within the peer group. This bullying pathway typically takes the form of an intense, yet groundless, dislike for another child. It appears as if the bullying child "needs" an enemy to despise and look down upon as if trying to discharge pent up feelings and "even" some kind of score. Parents with children embroiled in hostile rivalries are urged to closely examine how much negativity is being repeated in their kids' peer relationships. Carefully listening to how your children talk about their peers is one way to determine if rivalry has sown the seeds for bullying.

Feelings of low self-worth, anger, and sadness create a combustible combination when confronted by the presence of happy, well-adjusted peers. Imagine the raw frustration when angry and unhappy kids must endure the daily happiness of their peers. Bullies emerge with a "misery loves company" agenda, capitalizing upon random opportunities to deflate a popular kid, further humiliate an unpopular one, or taunt a committed teacher. Children who follow this path to bullying behaviors are often critical and moody, fixated upon what is wrong with people and events around them. If your child fits this description it behooves you to offer them a nonjudgmental ear and understanding voice. Gently ask if their unhappiness ever makes them want to hurt others. Suggest that this is understandable, yet not acceptable. Brainstorm ways to help them feel better quickly.

Exposure to judgmental, narrow-minded views breeds judgmental, narrow-minded attitudes. Some parents overlook how their own biases and other "perceptual filters" are absorbed by their children. Just because children may not always "listen" to our requests and instructions doesn't mean they aren't intently listening to our views of other kids, parents, teachers, neighbors, and so on. These views may then be adapted to a more extreme degree since kids often don't understand the context within which they are expressed.

Signs of this bullying pathway surface in the form of sarcastic and inappropriate comments that sound more like an adult's inner thoughts than a child's perceptions. Other adults and children may be especially struck by the "adult nature" of the child's statements and quietly suspect that these views have been heard at home. If this circumstance exists at home it is critical to discuss it in an open and nondefensive manner, taking responsibility for unfortunate "social programming" that has already aired. Try to do a better job at shielding children from bias and innuendo, and someday they will appreciate the freedom to accept others as they are, not as parents measure them.

See Also:

• What To Do If You Are Being Bullied
• Types of Bullies
• How to Help Your Child Stop Bullying