How to raise a child who is not a bully

With all the media's focus on young people who are tortured by bullies in both the real and virtual worlds, parents can think about what they can do to protect their children. The question they might want to ask instead is how they prevent their children from becoming bullies.

New research presented today at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Association in Denver shows that parents can play a key role in reducing the likelihood of their sons or daughters harassing or intimidating other children.

The researchers, led by Rashmi Shetgiri, MD, FAAP, examined the prevalence of the reports received from parents who took part in the National Child Health Survey from 2003-2007. They also look at the factors that are linked to the increase or decrease in the risk that a child interferes with another child.

The survey showed nearly one in seven children aged 10-17 years often disturbed others in 2007, according to Dr. Shetgiri, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Health Center and Children's Health Center, Dallas. Although the ratio of parents who reported that their children often harassed others declined from 2003 to 2007, the ratio remained high, said Dr. Shetgiri.

The survey results also showed that 23 percent of children had harassed others in 2003 compared to 35 percent in 2007.

Several factors that increase the tendency for a child to harass others continue from 2003 to 2007. For example, children are more likely to disturb if their parents are often angry with them or feel that their child is causing them a lot of trouble. After all, children with emotional, developmental or behavioral problems and who are reported to have a slightly less good mental health are also more likely to disturb. In fact, about one in five has emotional, developmental or behavioral problems, more than tripling the ratio of non-intruders, Dr. Shetgiri.

Other factors that seemed to protect a child from being a bully had also taken place from 2003 to 2007. Parents who exchanged ideas and talked with their children and met most of their children's friends were less likely to have disturbing children, said Dr. Shetgiri.

As quoted by MedicalXpress, he said: "Targeting interventions to reduce these risk factors and increase protection factors can lead to a decrease in discomfort."

For example, parents can increase their involvement with their children by meeting their friends and by spending time chatting and exchanging ideas with their children, Dr. Shetgiri. "They can also find effective ways to regulate any feelings of anger in their children and can work with health care providers to ensure their emotional or behavioral attention to their children, as well as their own mental health."