Is your child a bully? Then it’s your fault

Aggressive parenting is turning children into schoolyard thugs, new research claims

Parents and teachers are being warned that punishing children for their aggressive behaviour is only adding to fuel to the fire in the schoolyard.

The harsh disciplinary actions of adults are being labelled as partly to blame for children becoming bullies as evidence reveals decades of teaching intervention methods in schools is simply not working.

Parent expert Dr Justin Coulson said adults are unaware that their reactive disciplinary measures can actually create or increase a child’s bullying behaviour: 'It's case of monkey see, monkey do.'

Parents and teachers are being warned that punishing children for their aggressive behaviour is only adding to fuel to the fire in the schoolyard

Two thirds of the anti - bullying strategies taught to children at school are not working while only one third had a modest effect

‘We live in a bullying culture where the people at the top are doing exactly what they are telling everybody else not to do and they don’t realise they are doing it,’ he said.
'Our methods of discpline and our methods of promoting anti-bullying messages are actually promoting bullying.'
'We define bullying to them and then we say and "if you bully here’s what will happen to you".'

 

Data collected from 140 research studies from around the world show that two thirds of the anti - bullying strategies are not working while only one third had a modest effect on children.
Dr Coulson, who is speaking at a the National Centre Against Bullying conference in Melbourne on Wednesday, suggests that adults refrain from their natural urge to react and speak with their child.
'We are actually ignoring what’s going on underneath - instead we are trying to patch it up with a bandaid,' he said.
'We are saying "we don’t really care what’s causing it – you’ve just got to stop it".'
One in four children report being bullied every fortnight in Australia while 80 per cent of children have witnessed cyber bullying and 40 per cent have been a victim of online abuse.
Dr Coulson, a father of six who left a career in radio to undertake a psychology degree to become a better parent, said parents and teachers need to work together with the child.

Online bullying, Amy Louise's story by ChildLine

'Although sometimes it feels like being punitive is the only option, the first thing you need to say is 'you're not in trouble' then you need to collaborate together on the problem solving.'
The National Centre Against Bullying conference is being held in Melbourne on Wednesday and Thursday to search for strategies to reduce the prevalence and impact of bullying.

NOTE:

Parents are being urged to refrain from their natural urge to react when their child has misbehaved and speak with them about the issue

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