children bullying another child
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
June 30, 2024 ·  3 min read

Mother Sparks Furious Debate After Telling Her Children to Hit Bullies

A mother of two has ignited a heated discussion among other parents by openly disclosing the extremely contentious parenting methods she employs to bring up her kids, including instructing them to strike bullies. Oklahoman stay-at-home mother Jaiden George has demonstrated her willingness to stir up controversy by posting her divisive opinions on TikTok. Unfortunately, the TikTok clip is no longer available.

A Controversial Opinion On Confronting BulliesThe 25-year-old, a mother of two boys, ages five and twelve months, has become well-known on the internet for her strong beliefs. These consist of never permitting sleepovers, letting her kids eat their veggies, and letting the entire family sleep in the same room. Regarding her stance on using self-defense to stop bullies, Jaiden said in her TikTok: “I don’t regret my decision in what I have taught my son. People think there are other ways to handle bullies, such as telling an adult or walking away. But the thing with bullies is that they don’t go away. They find their target and are set on it. They will keep coming back if you do not defend yourself. Growing up, nobody ever taught me that I could defend myself physically or verbally and a lot of the time, I would just stand there.

Given that her eldest son has learning problems, Jaiden thinks self-defense is even more important. She believes that since her five-year-old has both autism and ADHD, there is an increased chance that he may become the victim of bullying in her situation.

As such, Jaiden thinks that teaching him how to defend himself from bullies will not only help him in the long run but will also ensure that he is ready to defend himself if the need arises in the future. “I think there are some parents out there that believe physical altercation is prohibited, but honestly, their kids are probably the so-called bullies.”

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The Expert’s Opinion

Even if Jaiden’s opinion is controversial, there are experts out there who believe that turning the other cheek is not always commendable to bullies. Clinical psychologist David Coleman made the case in an opinion piece for the Irish Independent that kids should defend themselves against physical aggression rather than run away. Coleman has three kids of his own.

Coleman says: “In my experience, and the experience of many of the youngsters that I have worked with, if an initial physical attack is not met with some degree of physical response, then it tends to happen again. If another child discovers that they can push someone around, they often continue to do so.” However, he acknowledges that there are different kinds of bullying and that “responding like for like” is not the recommended way for every type.

On the other hand, Dr. Deborah Gilboa, an expert in child development, was not completely supportive of this opinion on dealing with bullies. She said: “Responding physically to physical attacks is not the right first response.” However, she also says that if a child meets “physical threats, he/she needs to know they have the right to defend themselves physically.

What do you think about this opinion on bullies? Do you think standing up for oneself is the right thing to do when it comes to physical bullying? Let us know in the comments!

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