Every child deserves the freedom to be their true self. But for many, childhood can be clouded by bullying — either as victims, or those labeled as ‘bullies’. This week on Raising Parents: The Parenting Science Insights Podcast, host Marie Stella consults counselor Andrea Mathews to find out what causes some children to adopt a bully identity, how it intersects with authenticity, and what parents can do to help them stay true to themselves while navigating social dynamics. Andrea Mathews has over 30 years of experience as a practitioner and supervisor of others practicing in the Mental Health field, having held roles as a counselor, family therapist, program director, clinical director, and clinical consultant. For the past 23 years, Andrea Mathews has been running a thriving solo private practice in Birmingham, Alabama, where she offers both transpersonal and cognitive therapy to individuals, couples, families, and groups. In this episode, Andrea Mathews sheds light on what it means to adopt a ‘bully identity’ and reveals that poor self-concept is a key underlying factor — among others — that contributes to bullying behaviors. Additionally, Andrea Mathews asserts the importance of staying up to date on a child’s behavior and performance at school, and offers actionable advice for intervening when things go awry. Together, Marie and Andrea Mathews delve into important habits to practice for nurturing self-esteem, both for parents and children. So, tune in to this episode and help your family discover the strength that comes from living authentically, even in the face of adversity! Follow Andrea Mathews’ work: Andrea Mathews: https://www.andreamathews.comOnline Web Counseling: https://onlinewebcounseling.com/directory/andrea-mathews Produced by the Parenting Science Labs, a division of LMSL, the Life Management Science Labs. Explore LMSL https://lifemanagementsciencelabs.com/  and visit http://pa.lmsl.net/  for further information about Parenting Science Labs. Follow us on social media to stay updated:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@parentingsciencelabs Facebook: http://facebook.com/parenting.science.labs.1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parenting.science.labs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaScienceLabs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/parenting-science-labs/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@parenting.science.labs  You can also subscribe and listen to the show on your preferred podcasting platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-parents-the-parenting-science-insights-podcast/id1648316813 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6m3aSJRG63DGU224r5UHdX Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6012aa2c-375d-4ca9-b6b7-985ca461b214/raising-parents-the-parenting-science-insights-podcast iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-raising-parents-the-parent-102799992/ Podbean: https://parentingscienceinsights.podbean.com/ PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/3402014 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/raising-parents-the-parenting-4912287