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Bullying
and Exposure to Domestic Violence
Being exposed to parental domestic
violence made children more susceptible to being bullied/ being a bully
themselves. In a research study that was conducted by the Italian National
Research Council, scientists concluded that being exposed to violence between
parents is associated with bullying and victimization in school. Violence
within the family has harmful effects on the child’s behavior.
Bullying is something that has
plagued most schools across the country, and in recent years it has become more
prevalent. Many researchers believe that a child’s violent behavior in school
stems from an exposure to violence within that child’s home. In the case of
domestic violence, children that live in that environment are more likely to
repeat that same act of violence on children in their school. “Children
witnessing violence perpetuated by their partners were nearly three times as
likely to be involved in physical aggression at school (fighting, bullying, or
threatening others) compared to those who did not witness violence (28.1% vs.
11.3%) and over twice as likely to be involved in indirect aggression (nonphysical
forms of aggression, such as rallying friends against someone, spreading
gossip, excluding someone from a group, or setting up another child for
punishment)” (“Bullying in schools and exposure to…”). Children,
(especially
girls) who witness their mothers being harassed, insulted, and beaten up by a
male figure, might learn that violence is a normal way of being treated and boys, on the other hand,
may idolize the
(male) person responsible for the
violence and learn that violence is an okay way to respond to conflict and then
become aggressive with classmates that are smaller than them . A dysfunctional
family, mainly one where especially domestic violence
is a part of everyday life, might encourage bullying in several ways. Parents
might show very little care for their children and not consider their feelings.
As a result of parental neglect, a child might develop a very low level of compassion
towards others. Families that do not function properly might be hurt by the way
power and aggression are shared between family members. Children start to learn
to control other people and they might even be encouraged to do so by the
dominant figure in their household. So, it is easy to say that domestic violence
plays a big part in understanding how children function in tough circumstances
and it helps explain how a child’s aggressive behavior is something that is
learned at home. Being exposed to violence between parents can reduce a child’s
ability of being confident or make a child accept being victimized at school.
Domestic violence either teaches a child to harm others or learn how to be a
victim, depending on the situation. Either way, the cycle of violence starts at
home. If it is not dealt with properly, it will reflect in the way the child
interacts with peers and the violence will continue at school.
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