The phenomenon involves individuals identified within online communities as narcissistic parents offering justifications or mitigating circumstances for bullying behavior perpetrated by their children or others. This can manifest as minimizing the impact of the bullying, shifting blame onto the victim, or framing the aggressor’s actions as playful or even necessary for the victim’s growth. For example, a parent might claim a child’s teasing was “just a joke” or that the victim was “too sensitive” and needed to “toughen up.”
The presence of such defenses highlights potential deficits in empathy and accountability within familial dynamics. These justifications can perpetuate cycles of abuse and erode the victim’s sense of self-worth. Historically, the minimization of bullying has been a recurring issue, often stemming from a lack of understanding of its long-term psychological consequences and a tendency to prioritize the aggressor’s perspective, particularly when that aggressor is a family member.
