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Last Updated: Wednesday October 12 2005 15:34 GMT

Who's to blame for kids' bad behaviour?

Children in a playground
Most teachers reckon that parents are to blame for their children's bad behaviour, according to a survey.

80% of teachers who were asked said that if you are not disciplined at home then you are more likely to play up in classes.

So who do YOU think is responsible for the bad behaviour?

Are you more scared about being told off by your parents or your teachers?

Do you behave differently at school than you do at home?

E-mail and let us know.

Unfortunately this topic is now closed but there are Comments pages on other subjects on the main Chat index.

Your comments

I got into trouble when I set my neighbours wheely-bin on fire; my brother made me do it. Peer pressure is a big problem and that is why some kids are badly behaved. If we didn't give into it, we wouldn't get in trouble and I wouldn't be grounded for 6 months.
Winston, 12, Hammersmith

I think Wayne Rooney is the problem. Kids see him do bad stuff and then they do it to because they want be like him.
Reddy, 12, USA

I don't think there's one definite thing you can pinpoint the blame on. I think it's a mixture of bad parenting, movies etc.
Samantha, 15, London

Some kids give into peer pressure - they see older kids misbehave and they do it to fit in. I think you should make your own choices and not follow others.
William, 12, Londonderry

I'm more afraid of my teacher - mum lets me get away with anything lol.
Emma, 8, South Wales

Like sometimes, I fool around during class and my parents discipline me at home. It's pretty much the kids choice if he wants to be bad or not.
Arie, 13, USA

I think children make their own choices to be naughty - no one is to blame but themselves.
Kim, 13, Newport

I think the parents are to blame because they mean the world to their kids because they want to be exactly like them.
Henna, 14, London

I think it is teachers, parents and us.
Carl, 11, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

I think it is partly the kids but a lot of the time it is the parents - there are some parents who spoil their children and let them be cheeky and bad and let them get away with everything and if that's how you act at home you're going to act like that in school.
Eleanor, 13, Dublin

I don't think parents have much to do with it but I do believe the friends you have does.
Tasha, 13, Bradford

I think you are more likely to misbehave in class if you are strictly disciplined at home. Class is one place where you can get people's support and by clowning around or being naughty is one way of reflecting that.
Steph, 11, Hyde

I think that if a kid has been treated badly he/she is likely to treat others badly too. But sometimes it's just the kids to blame. It really depends on the situation.
Cara, 11, London

I think that children are bad in class due to boring lessons. I believe they are bad because they are bored in class. I think children are better behaved at home where they have interesting and fun things to do.
Charley, 14, Warwick

I think it is appalling that teachers are blaming parents for their kids behaviour. I think that the way the child is treated in school depends on their behaviour because if a child is stuck on a different desk from everyone else at the back of the class they will think that they might as well act like that.
Natalie, 12, Leicester

Parents are responsible for their children's behaviour but they can't be there all the time. So, the child playing up are also to blame!
Peter, 15, Truro

You can be disciplined until you go red in the face, but at the end of the day it's your fault.
Natalie, 10, Mansfield

I think it's a little bit down to the parents but also a little bit down to the pupil because parents from birth should keep their children under control but when they're older the kids sometimes just do what they like.
Megan, 12, Dundee

I think it is just the attitude in kids that makes them bad but some children get it from their parents because sometimes mums tell kids to thump back if someone thumps them. I would say 80% is the kids and 20% is the parents.
Chloe, 10, Leicester

I think it's the child fault that they are naughty at school as some children are naughty because they want to be cool at school with their friends because they're breaking the rules.
Chy, 12, St.Agnes

Yes I do agree that parents are to blame for children's bad behaviour because a lot of people in my class have parents who don't care if they are out until 10 p.m.
Rosie, 13, Sussex

When you get in trouble at school, it is both the teachers and parents responsibility to make sure the student then improves their behaviour.
Margarita, 13, Kent

A kid's behaviour depends on their choice of how to behave and their choice of how to behave is effected by their influences on how to behave from their parents. The kid won't behave badly if engaged by the teacher. So it's not really one of the three but all of them combined.
Calum, 13, Woking

Placing blame on someone other than the perpetrator is the easy option. Every child and case is individual.
Andrew, 15, Warrington

For once I think the teachers are right as you tend to find that relaxed parents children are more likely to muck about.
Richard, 11, Woking

Parents are to blame, they look after us most of the time and teachers talk to parents and explain things that have happened. Most of the time parents say their children are like this at home, so why don't the parents do something instead of having the problems bought to school?
Kathy, 13, Birmingham

People are bad because people are - it has nothing do with your parents. People choose to be bad.
James, 13, Leeds

I think pupils are to blame for bad behaviour, it's their choice if they want to be naughty and nobody can physically stop them.
Elle, 10, Hayling Island

It depends. The child needs to be kept under control by the parents so that he/she knows that bad behaviour is unacceptable. However, children are still responsible for their own actions.
Kelly, 15, Rotherham

I personally think it depends on how kids are brought up. So...yeah, the parents. And the kids themselves, because when they're not at home they're with other people and other surroundings.
Aparna, 14, London

I think parents are a little to blame but mostly other people influence kids which makes them naughty.
Kate, 12, Southampton

It's the parents fault for not teaching their kids how to behave properly.
Zoe, 13, Skipton

I think that parents shouldn't be blamed for their kids behaviour because kids can do what they want and parents don't know what they are up to most of the time!
Becky, 13, North Lincs

If it was the parents fault society would have been ruined years ago!
Courtney, 15, Belfast

I think people around you are to blame. I used to play up in class to distract myself from thinking about the things I was going through. Most teachers seem to think it's the kids who aren't clever that play up but I'm in all the top sets, so that's wrong!
Michelle, 14, Huddersfield

I think it's the kids fault because some kids be naughty just to get other kids to laugh or to attract their attention but I do behave a lot better at school than at home.
Alex, 10, Cornwall

You learn good behaviour from an early age before you start school, so it's mostly the parents to blame..
Emily, 15, Cardiff

The parents, always.
Sarah, 14, Essex

Someone once said that a child is like a blank piece of paper; everybody leaves a lasting mark on it. I guess it's a mixture between choice and the marks others have left.
Rika, 15, London

Although your parents bring you up, it doesn't mean that they're responsible for your actions, as everyone has their own brain and should know the difference between 'right' and 'wrong.' So, maybe your parents are to blame for some of your behaviour, but it could also be the influence of your friends and other people too.
Amina, 14, Leyton

It can't be the parents fault because some parents think their children are nice and perfect but when they're not with them they can be nasty. So how are the parents to blame for that??
Rachel, 15, Newcastle

I think it's the parents! They're the ones bringing you up, scolding you and praising you! They should be responsible for what happens in your life until you are at the age of sixteen or eighteen!
Hannah, 15, Huddersfield

In my opinion, it's the kids choice whether to behave or not. But parents should punish them for bad behaviour! I behave the exact same way at school as I am at the house.
Laurel, 15, Birmingham

I think it's your own fault if your being naughty. I don't think you should blame the parents for it.
Mehreen, 11, Accrington

It's the parents fault...the behaviour of the child reflects the parents.
Hoi, 15, London

I think that if you're naughty then this is your choice but teachers and parents should tell you off.
Marcus, 13, Warwick



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