Teaching kids ‘hit back if you’re hit’ is making school violence worse — not safer

Parents who tell their kids to automatically hit back aren’t teaching confidence or self-defense — they’re outsourcing conflict resolution to violence. Schools are already pressure cookers. When every shove is met with retaliation, small incidents escalate into suspensions, injuries, and lifelong habits of reacting instead of thinking. Teaching kids boundaries, de-escalation, and when to involve adults isn’t weakness — it’s how you break the cycle instead of passing it on.