Bullies might have derived their aggressive and condescending behaviour from their parents, according to researchers from various universities in Florida, Canada and Sweden. The study found that a particular type of parenting brings about frustration and anger in children, which in turn leads to them bullying their peers in the future. The constant use of sarcasm and contempt when responding to children is known as derisive parenting.
1,409 children were recruited for this three-year study which observed the underlying emotions that led to poor peer interactions. Results show that derisive parenting makes it challenging for children to regulate their emotions well, resulting in anger management issues when they become adolescents. Such adolescents tend to engage in bullying and are also more likely to become bully-victims. Bully-victims are bullies who are also treated poorly by other bullies, and are more prone to developing mental and behavioural issues.
Despite no instigation of conflict from their children, derisive parents often mock their children in ways that embarrasses and infuriates them. These parents also turn to punishments and emotional manipulation to get their children to obey them. Children of derisive parents commonly face rejection and hostility, causing them to adopt maladaptive coping strategies that affects their social life.
Furthermore, derisive parenting forms a vicious cycle in which frustration and disdain is exchanged between parent and child, continuously contributing to the child’s inappropriate anger management methods.
Parent-child interaction is crucial in developing social skills that the child needs to engage with his or her peers and foster good relationships with them. Given that this study has communicated the detrimental consequences of derisive parenting, it is important for parents to respond to their children appropriately and be sensitive in dealing with their emotions.
Category(s):Bullying, Parenting
Source material from Science Daily
