Behavioural signs that your child is bullying

Young people who bully have low self-esteem and bully so that they can make others do what they say and give themselves a sense of power and superiority. They often brag about their exploits and abilities to cover a low sense of self-worth.

They show a tendency to relate to others in a negative way, e.g. making negative comments about other people’s appearance, intelligence, ability, family, behaviour, etc. This may include an intolerance of other cultures and lifestyles and the use of racist, sexist and homophobic language, e.g. using “gay” as a term of abuse. Lots of people talk about others in unflattering terms, in fact nearly everybody makes negative comments about other people sometimes, but if your child does this on a regular basis you have reason to be concerned. It is worth thinking honestly about the way that you talk about other people in front of your child as well.

Once again, a child who shows one or more of these indicators is not necessarily bullying, but they are displaying and supporting behaviours and attitudes that have a negative effect on themselves, their friends and potentially all the people that they live with. It is important that, as a parent and carer you try to challenge these behaviours, build up your child’s self-esteem and help them find ways of showing the world that they are valuable and worth taking notice of that don’t have a negative effect on others.