As an issue highlighting the dominating nature of an individual with the intention to cause hurt to others, bullying has been particularly plaguing the youth around the world. It is one of the biggest concerns for parents, educators, and of course, for the ones who get bullied. And this problem gets severe as children grow up, as they can devise more intense ways to harm their target.
Also, kids and children are vulnerable, so bullying is an even bigger concern with them regardless of which side of the problem they are.
But you must wonder why does it happen? Why do some children bully other children? Is it peer-pressure, is it anger, or is it merely a part of growing up?
Interestingly enough, the root causes lie in front of us, and they begin right inside our homes. Here are the reasons why some children like bullying:
- They get bullied at home
- They get ignored by their parents
- They do it due to peer-pressure
- They simply enjoy dominating weaker kids
- They do it out of jealousy
Bullied at Home
You can consider it as an example of children learning from their elders, siblings, and parents. As a parent, if you are in the habit of regularly scolding your kids, they are going to vent out their anger somewhere else. And they are probably going to do it to another kid probably of the same age or even younger. The anger and frustration develop over time, and they can affect a kid’s behavior, making them rude and short-tempered towards others.
The same goes for how siblings behave with one another, especially the behavior of elder brothers and sisters with their younger ones. Regular fighting and the tendency to be dominating towards the younger siblings give rise to aggressive behavior.
Ignored by Parents
The effects of ignoring your kids regularly can be much more severe than you can imagine. While you’re not expected to invade their privacy and poke them for every little thing, you are supposed to know what’s going on in their lives. Needless to say, it is every parents’ responsibility to know what their kids are into and what they are going through when they are at home and outside.
Being a cool as well as a responsible parent is the best thing you can be for your kids. Talk to them about different things and expose them to newer ideas and information as they age. Find out what makes them happy and what troubles them.
Schools can be complicated for children for a variety of reasons when they grow up. Plus, they go through a lot of changes physically as they start to understand their bodies. All these personal changes make children very moody, which further makes them vulnerable and strong at the same time.
Also, ignoring your kids can lead them to believe that you simply don’t care enough. And this must be prevented from happening by all means.
The good thing is, everyone can benefit from the increasing digitization of information today, and not just the millennials. As a parent, you can research a lot of information on the internet. Information on education-related queries and you can even interact with other parents on issues concerning bullying.
Peer-Pressure
Another prominent reason for children to get into bullying – because their friends tell them to. And the reasons could be several:
- It’s just fun
- It is to become part of a particular circle
- It could be a dare or a challenge
Many kids also do it just because they want to make themselves appear stronger in front of their friends and other children. Young children in their teens also do it to impress members of the opposite sex. And this is not something that only boys do; even girls bully each other a lot to impress boys.
They Simply Enjoy Dominating Weaker Kids
Let’s understand that some children believe it’s merely fun messing around with weaker kids. Whether you think that they are naughty or purposeful, bullying can seriously hurt an individual physically and mentally.
Children can also become bullies out of media influence. You should always take care of the kind of content children get exposed to on television, and especially on the internet. Videos showing aggressive behavior, violent situations and any other controversial content that negatively influences kids must be avoided.
Out of Jealousy
This is quite common. Many children bully others who are smarter and more intelligent than them. For example, they do it out of jealousy if a particular student is in the good books of his or her teachers and is popular among students in the class. This also develops an inferiority complex in some children, further leading to shyness, insecurity, low self-esteem, and even jealousy and hatred. For this reason alone, educators and parents should avoid unnecessary favoritism. Some children can also go astray if there’s no strict rule against bullying in a school.
Let’s understand that bullying is usually not about a single instance of physical or mental domination against a weaker person, as that could be situational. Bullying is a habit. And people who are bullies do it because it has become their nature. It is part of their personality and how they are known in their circle. As a habit, they tend to do it because this is how they spend a part of their time. Bullying also keeps them at the top of their group.
It is a serious issue, to understate it. Bullying can scar the victims for a very long time, and in some cases, it can scar them for life. Thorough efforts are required to provide proper counseling to both the bullies and the ones who get bullied. It is an issue that needs to be talked about on a global stage.
Thanks to the internet, interaction has become easier between people all around the world. And people should talk about it on public forums – online and offline. So many public forums today offer convenience when it comes to interacting with people from literally anywhere in the world. There are websites that can provide you information on education questions and answers as well as bullying-related issues. The more people will talk about it; the more effective solutions will come out of it.
- Bullying: Why Do Children Do It - November 4, 2019
