{"id":20230,"date":"2019-11-07T15:31:21","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T13:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/?p=20230"},"modified":"2022-05-29T22:23:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T20:23:21","slug":"what-to-do-if-your-child-is-a-bully-jozikids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/parenting\/bullying\/what-to-do-if-your-child-is-a-bully-jozikids\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do if your child is a bully"},"content":{"rendered":"

Food for thought: The bully is as in need of help as the person being bullied. Much too often, the bully is side-stepped, while all eyes, ears and hearts are with the victim. Let’s look at the flip side.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0What if your child is the bully? How should you approach the situation to prevent your child from harming others (physically and\/or psychologically)? We chatted to an educational psychologist, Dr Ronelle Venter, to find out what you as a parent can do if you suspect that your child is a bully.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why children bully others<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cThere are a variety of reasons why children bully others,\u201d Dr Venter explains. She provides a list of possible reasons why children would want to bully or harm other children.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aggression at home<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

If one or both parents handle conflict with violence, the child will learn that violence is the way to handle disagreements.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Physical abuse towards the child at home<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Consequently, the child may act out and take out his anger and frustration on more vulnerable children.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Lack of self-esteem and self-worth<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Children that feel powerless might turn to bullying to give them a sense of power and control.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Attention-seeking behaviour
\n<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Bullying is a way for children to seek attention from adults like parents or teachers. Encouragement by their peers may also lead to a feeling of acceptance.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Bad friendships<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Children often encourage disrespectful behaviour towards others.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0What to look out for if you think your child is a bully<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are a few things that you can look out for if you\u2019re worried that your child is bullying others. Dr Venter lists the following warning signs:<\/span><\/p>\n