How a child is treated in the home can play a role in whether or not the child will become a bully or not. Often if the child is victimized in the home, there is a good chance they could become a bully in school. You read that right, children who are victimized in the home could get the message that the way I get what I want is through fear and intimidation. I know this is something that is usually done by the social worker, but a conversation with the parents and a little intuition can usually be pretty revealing. So be a detective, and ask some questions that may reveal more about the child’s home life then the parents wanted you to know. Sometimes mom’s can let the cat out of the bag about dad’s anger issues, or maybe visa-versa. How ever you get the info, take notes.

Bench Notice

The closed house; a term that years ago was used to refer to a home where there might be abuse, addiction, or neglect. No child wants to be the one who spills the beans about what is going on between mom and dad or some addictive problem that is plaguing the family. They see it as disloyal and can fear the reaction of a parent if in fact he or she discovers that their child ratted them out.

Parents who have anger issues, are neglectful or who are suffering from addiction have grown physically, but not emotionally. Often the abused children of these parents can suffer from the overly responsible syndrome, with the roles reversing and the child actually parenting the parent. Don’t let these children be robbed of their childhood. Step in and help this child realize that the behavior of their parents is not their fault and help them begin to enjoy the wonders of being a kid. By doing so you will help them become more balanced adults.