It is not always easy to spot if your child is a bully just as it is not simple to spot if your child is being bullied. Just as a child can hide the fact it is being bullied the person being the bully can cleverly hide that fact it is in fact bully another. Children who are bullies very often harbour their own fears and insecurities. Very often they are victims of bullying themselves or in some ways are distressed. They may have problems at home with parents divorcing, separating or going through issues or their problems maybe more deep routed and they maybe suffering from a kind of child neglect or abuse. Children may bully for the following reasons;
– Being bullied at home by other siblings
– Undiagnosed or diagnosed learning ability which causes the child to be angry and find it difficult to integrate
– Find it difficult to read social situation as not integrated well as a small child
– Do not possess skills to solve problems in social situation so find it easier to be cruel and intimidate others
– Bullies themselves often have low self esteem so project this on others
– Feeling of powerless and come from a background of bullying
The signs that a child is a bully may not always be present but they may consist of the following;
– Refuses to include certain children in activities
– Persists in behaving in an unpleasant manner even when told off
– Video games have a huge influence over a child’s behaviour, if they are playing violent and criminal video games then they may portray such activities in real life
– Parents behaviour and how they live their lives also has a huge effect on a child’s life as they are seen as role models and parents are the primary teachers
– Gaining possessions not bought by a parent or relative
Self-esteem can have a huge bearing on how a child behaves in society. A child having a good self worth is not them thinking the y are better than their peers or anyone in fact but that they think a lot of themselves. Being confident within yourself can open the doors to a fulfilling life, a life that does not direct you towards the promotion of making others miserable. It allows you to deal with difficult and challenging situations more effectively. Children who are fortunate to have good self esteem can build effective relationships with others and limit the prospect of loneliness, isolation and fear. And lastly but no means least a child with self worth does not feel the need to dominate others to make themselves feel better and can find the inner strength to defend themselves if found in a situation where they feel the need to without using intimidation or force.