Raising Kids who aren't bullies

As parents, there are so many things we hope and pray that our children will be in life. There are also so many things that we worry, pray and hope they wouldn’t grow to become. One of the things that we usually hope that our kids don’t become is a bully. If you were a victim of bullying or saw someone being bullied in school, then I imagine you wouldn’t want that for anyone else. If you were a bully back in school, I hope you would want your children to do better.

Bullying is repeated abusive or aggressive behavior that involves a power imbalance. Bullying can be physical or verbal. Bullying has been said to cause severe psychological issues for both the bullies and the victim. Some bullies end up being school dropouts, in prison, or in dangerous associations that become too much for them to handle. Some victims of bullying end up with psychosocial issues like feelings of shame, inferiority complex, being a loner or having difficulty making friends. And in all these, I don’t believe parents of bullies or victims of bullies intended for their children to act that way or be victims. However, it happened. This means we ought to pay attention to teaching our kids what they need to know to be kind, empathetic and regard other children with respect.

So, how do we raise kids who aren’t bullies?