Bullying linked to poor parenting

A new article published in Child Abuse & Neglect explores the link between childhood bullying and parenting. It found that both victims and those who bully and are victims of bullying (bully/victims) were more likely to be exposed to negative parenting behavior including abuse and neglect. The effects were generally small to moderate for victims but moderate for bully/victims. Although parental involvement and support and high supervision decrease the chances of children being involved in bullying behavior, for victims, overprotection increased the risk.

A number of possible explanations are given. Some mistreated and abused children may be submissive at home to maintain their safety, or may learn that they are powerless, have less confidence, and become less able to assert their needs. On the other hand, some mistreated children display heightened levels of aggression, which suggests that they may be more inclined to bully. It should be noted that most studies did not differentiate cause and effect, so a bullied child may be difficult and lead to poor parenting. 

Seventy studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis, with a final sample of over 200,000 children and young people with an age range of 4-25 years. Recommendations include intervention programs that target children who are exposed to harsh or abusive parenting, or parental training programs to strengthen supportive involvement and warm and affectionate parenting. 

Johns Hopkins University

School of Education

Center for Research and Reform in Education

Research in Brief