Bullied turned bully

[loavesandfishes]

My 14yo son has been suspended from school for 3 days for non-specific (as yet) "bullying" and "unkindness". He started at this school in September and has never been known as bad or mean himself. He was badly bullied 3 years ago - so badly that he suffered seizures.

Do people who have been bullied turn into bullies? Is it a common progression?

Not necessarily. The path IS there iyswim, so I think it can be more likely, but not the only cause. I am a mother to a teen who was both bullied/a bully (although was thankfully found out quicker than when he was being bullied) and it hurts so much,I remember wondering how anyone could do that to my darling child, when we were in the thick of the bullying- and then my child did it himself. Has he gone to CAMHS or counselling? It seemed so out of chatacter for DS that we asked for counselling, it has helped him a lot and definitely has underlying, pent up emotions as a root of the bullying, and as he was helped to find different ways of coping and letting these out, he has returned to being a friendly, kind and welcoming (according to teachers) kid at school.

Zombie Penguin - thank you for taking the time to reply and to tell me about your experience. Counselling is a brilliant idea. I will look into that.

Oh, the joys of parenthood!

Best wishes