Aggressive Parenting: Understanding Its Nature, Managing Bullying Incidents, and Sharing Private Experiences
Bullying among adolescents is a serious concern that can have long-lasting effects on a child's emotional, social, and academic well-being. Signs of bullying may include low self-esteem, disliking school, missing school, or declining school performance, loneliness or depression, tiredness, stomach aches, or headaches, self-destructive behaviors, unexplained injuries, frequent nightmares or difficulty sleeping, thinking about or attempting suicide, loss of electronics, jewelry, books, or clothing, avoidance of social situations, or a sudden loss of friends.
Understanding the role of parenting in shaping a child's behaviour is crucial in addressing bullying. There are four types of parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved.
Authoritarian parents establish strict rules and have high expectations, with less nurturing. This style, characterised by strictness, low warmth, and physical punishment, is strongly linked to increased aggression and bullying behaviour in children. Such children may perceive bullying as normal, show reduced self-esteem, anxiety, and are prone to antisocial behaviours as they model harsh, punitive interactions from their parents.
On the other hand, authoritative parents, who have a nurturing, close relationship with their children, explain reasons for disciplinary actions, and foster the ability of children to manage negative emotions, lead to better social and emotional health. This style, characterised by high warmth and reasonable control, acts as a protective factor. Children raised with authoritative parents tend to develop stronger self-regulation, emotional skills, and social competence, reducing both bullying perpetration and victimization.
Permissive parents are warm and nurturing but have little or no expectations, with limited rules and rare uses of discipline. While not strongly linked to coercive behaviour, permissive parenting may risk insufficient guidance, sometimes leading to problematic social behaviours if limits are lacking.
Uninvolved or rejecting parents have low nurturing, limited communication, and few expectations. This style can foster feelings of fear, anger, loneliness, and insecurity. These negative emotional states reduce the child's internalization of moral standards, increasing susceptibility to peer pressure and alignment with bullies, either as perpetrators or passive supporters.
When bullying becomes a recurring event, professional help should be sought early due to its serious consequences. Positive parenting, which includes showing warmth, affection, and support, is linked to protection from being a bullying target. Parental behaviours that help prevent children from being perpetrators of bullying involve teaching them to be respectful, kind, and empathetic, emphasizing that no one deserves teasing, and avoiding jokes about a person's clothing, size, or weight.
Jennifer's story involved her son losing interest in school-related activities, becoming more irritable, and being reluctant to discuss his day, signalling emotional distress. In response, Jennifer adopted a holistic approach, spending more time outdoors and starting a shared journal to facilitate communication and help her child express feelings.
In summary, negative and authoritarian parenting styles tend to increase the risk of children becoming bullies or victims by fostering aggression, insecurity, and poor emotional regulation. In contrast, authoritative parenting reduces such risks by encouraging empathy, self-confidence, and resilience. Permissive and uninvolved styles can have mixed effects but generally lack the balance and guidance needed to prevent bullying behaviours effectively.
- Engaging in science and research on the effects of parenting styles can help us understand the role of mental health in bullying among adolescents.
- To promote health-and-wellness and prevent bullying, parenting should involve education-and-self-development on how to foster empathy, respect, and positive emotional regulation in children.
- It's crucial for parents to prioritize their child's emotional well-being by adopting an authoritative parenting style, which helps build strong self-regulation, emotional skills, and social competence, thereby reducing the risk of bullying.
