The family environment holds significant sway over a child’s development, and it’s
not surprising that families also play a role in preventing bullying. However, most research on family influences, whether from a risk or resilience standpoint, has primarily focused on psychopathology and children’s adjustment (Collins et al., 2000), rather than specifically on bullying. These studies are further constrained in that they are predominantly cross-sectional correlational studies based on self-reports from students using the same instrument. Nevertheless, in this section you can find some representative examples of how the family context can either amplify or mitigate the impact of individual characteristics on bullying outcomes.
It is important to mention that certain children are more vulnerable to experiencing bullying. Bullying is not distributed evenly, and it often targets kids who are already facing challenges, such as those with disabilities like Asperger’s, minorities, immigrants, refugees, individuals who identify with goth subcultures, nerdy kids, and others who may feel marginalized or uncomfortable in their skin.
While bullying can begin as early as the first grade, more serious incidents tend to arise in the fifth and sixth grades, particularly among girls. The children who are targeted for bullying are often the same ones already at risk for mental health issues like depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety, and bullying can exacerbate these problems. The presence of social media can further complicate matters by making bullying less overt and visible.
What Should I do if my child is Bullying someone?
