Chapter 15

Myth #14

Bullies are raised in dysfunctional families by parents who are bullies themselves

First published: 23 March 2020

Summary

While we know that parents who are violent are more likely to produce violent children, that is very clearly not always the case. This chapter presents a case study of Svetlana, a troubled and non-violent person and daughter of the most lethal dictator of all time (Josef Stalin). In a 2016 study, it was found that while mothers’ parenting style did impact whether a child reported becoming a victim, it was fathers’ parenting style that had the most impact on whether a child became a bully. Having an unaffectionate father might increase the chance that the child becomes a bully, but it is not a simple, direct cause. As with so many other parenting factors, the real to-do here is to keep the communication going. Parents have to make sure that they know what their kids are up to socially, and ask them how they are feeling about their friends and their place in school and online.

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