Bullying at School? Blame the Father

Busy fathers, pay attention: a?new study finds that if your kids think you’re not spending enough time with them, they’re more likely to exhibit bullying behavior at school. C. Andre Christie-Mizell, Jacqueline M. Keil, Mary Therese Laske and Jennifer Stewart examined both parents’ working hours and children’s perception of time spent with their parents (i.e. do your kids think you work too much?), finding that “it was children’s perception of how much time they spent with their fathers that had the most impact on bullying behavior.” Interestingly, mothers’ working hours didn’t seem to have much of an effect on bullying behaviors. “The findings about fathers and mothers are important because it turns what most of us think is conventional wisdom — that mothers have the most influence on children — on its ear,” says Christie-Mizell. “What this research shows is that while it’s equally important for kids to spend time with both parents, fathers need to make an extra effort.” [%comments]