Experts Say These Parenting Habits Could 'Accidentally' Turn Kids Into Bullies

“This is hard because sometimes parents do these things accidentally because they're tired or they're exhausted."

It seems like there’s endless advice on how to be a good parent, all with the same goal in mind – raising kind, empathetic children.

So, finding out that your child has been bullying someone can be disappointing, at best. At worst, it can be destabilising – making parents question whether they’ve been following the right guidance after all.

Though parents overwhelmingly feel that bullying is destructive, up to 20% of children will bully someone during their elementary through high school careers, according to a study by the American Journal of Public Health.

This harms all the kids involved, too. The same research found that both bullies and victims experience higher rates of mental health issues and are more likely to go on to struggle in school and other parts of their lives – with bullies experiencing delinquency and victims struggling to adjust in social interactions as they get older.

It goes without saying that understanding why kids bully — and how parenting can influence them —is essential to preventing and managing bullying behaviours before they become a bigger issue.

That’s why experts also recommend being aware of parenting habits that might be unintentionally turning your kid into a bully when you’re not around.

Parents might be reinforcing insecurity in their kids

According to clinical psychologist Amber Thornton, bullying is often a result of insecurity. When kids feel bad inside, they are more likely to make others feel bad, too.

“Typically children bully other children in order to feel more powerful or feel more in control. A lot of times, it happens when children feel insecure or doubtful of themselves but it can also stem from children having trouble emotionally expressing themselves,” Thornton said.

“If a child is feeling angry or mad or upset, they may take that out on another child to help themselves feel better, not having a better way to express themselves. Bullying can also happen when children........

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