Tips on Dealing With Bullying Amongst Your Children & A Video of a Florida Father's Reaction to the Bullying of His Daughter
The headlines are proving that bullying is still happening and in some instances getting worse. Children who are being bullied often have a hard time defending themselves. As a parent you immediately want to stop the bullying and protect your child, but how do you do this? If you allow your emotions to take over you may react in a way that can potentially make matters worse.
Here are some tips and facts on bullying from www.stopbullying.hrsa.gov:
Effects of bullying
Bullying can have serious consequences. Children and youth who are bullied are more likely than other children to
• Be depressed, lonely, anxious;
• Have low self-esteem;
• Be absent from school;
• Feel sick; and
• Think about suicide.
Reporting bullying to parents
Children frequently do not tell their parents that they are being bullied because they are embarrassed, ashamed, frightened of the children who are bullying them, or afraid of being seen as a “tattler.” If your child tells you about being bullied, it has taken a lot of courage to do so. Your child needs your help to stop the bullying.
What to do if your child is being bullied:
1. First, focus on your child. Be supportive and gather information about the bullying.
- Never tell your child to ignore the bullying.
- Don't blame the child who is being bullied.
- Listen carefully to what your child tells you about the bullying.
- Empathize with your child. Tell him/her that bullying is wrong, not their fault, and that you are glad he or she had the courage to tell you about it.
- Check your emotions. A parent's protective instincts stir strong emotions. Although it is difficult, a parent is wise to step back and consider the next steps carefully.
2. Contact your child's teacher or principal.
- Parents are often reluctant to report bullying to school officials, but bullying may not stop without the help of adults.
- Keep your emotions in check.
- Emphasize that you want to work with the staff at school to find a solution to stop the bullying, for the sake of your child as well as other students.
- Do not contact the parents of the student(s) who bullied your child.
3. Help your child become more resilient to bullying.
- Help to develop talents or positive attributes of your child. Suggest and facilitate music, athletics, and art activities. Doing so may help your child be more confident among his or her peers.
- Encourage your child to make contact with friendly students in his or her class.
- Teach your child safety strategies. Teach him or her how to seek help from an adult when feeling threatened by a bully.
- Ask yourself if your child is being bullied because of a learning difficulty or a lack of social skills?
- Home is where the heart is. Make sure your child has a safe and loving home environment where he or she can take shelter, physically and emotionally. Always maintain open lines of communication with your child.
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