From Vicki, a middle school special ed teacher: I think it's because parents refuse to believe their children can do wrong; they question the schools and by telling their kids not to listen to their teachers empower their kids to push boundaries. Add to that kids who are showered with expensive toys by preoccupied parents too busy with everything BUT parenting and you have attention- seeking, lonely and frustrated bullies.
And from my daughter Val, a 3rd grade teacher: I have found that kids actually need lessons on how to socialize and conversate correctly. With all this technology, parents and kids aren't socializing let alone kids with other kids. How do they know how to be polite/not bully/respect others when they aren't told or shown otherwise?!?! Hmmmm
So, from these two teachers who are still in the "trenches," I conclude with them that parents are the children's primary role models. I was fortunate that my daughters were neither bullies nor bullied to the best of my knowledge. That's because I taught them to be proactive about their relationship with other people, both young and old. I showed them that each person, no matter how much that person annoyed them, deserved their respect.
The writer in me decided to find resources to help parents and teachers understand the importance of teaching their children to be empathetic and accepting of others' differences. I looked for books that showed parents/teachers how to form an anti-bullying strategy rather than how to help kids cope with bullies, which may be the bigger picture. Here's what I found:
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