Parenting: Dealing with Bullying
A new school year is underway and in addition to making sure our children are on task with their assignments, there are other concerns that we need to address as parents.
Unfortunately bullying is a major issue for school aged children. According to bullyingstatistics.com, over 56% of students say they have witnessed someone being bullied at school.
Bullying can be defined in many different ways but StopBullying.gov defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves real or perceived power imbalance.
Unfortunately bullying is a major issue for school aged children. According to bullyingstatistics.com, over 56% of students say they have witnessed someone being bullied at school.
Bullying can be defined in many different ways but StopBullying.gov defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves real or perceived power imbalance.
Children who bully are often neglected children or children who are being bullied themselves by older siblings. Bullies often have poor self-esteem and by dominating others it makes them feel better about themselves. They lack compassion but their behavior is a learned behavior. As parents, it is important that we are passing on traits to our children that do not make them a social threat. They need to learn respect, compassion and kindness. We teach our children how to treat others by the way we treat them.
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If you are a parent of a child that you suspect is being bullied, here are some signs to look for:
1. Unexplainable injuries 2. Lost or destroyed personal items 3. Faking illnesses to miss school 4. Changes in eating habits, if someone is taking their lunch they make be hungrier after school 5. Frequent nightmares 6. Declining grades due to lack of interest in school 7. Self destructive behavior such as talk of suicide |
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If your child is being bullied, you should provide comfort and listen. Although your first reaction may be to go to the school and confront the bully, think about your child and how that can make the situation worse for them. You can’t be with them twenty-our hours a day.
Teach them to stick up for themselves and not to be a target for bullies. Bullies usually pick on kids who are too afraid to stand up for themselves. If the bullying continues tell your child to notify a teacher.
The best thing you can do is to approach the school officials (teachers, principals, campus police) and tell them your concerns and find out their bullying policy. Also, check the laws in your area, if you feel your child is in serious danger, contact law enforcement.
Even if your child is not being bullied, explain to them if they see someone being bullied they have an obligation to tell a teacher or school official. Not saying anything is almost as bad as bullying itself.
Teach them to stick up for themselves and not to be a target for bullies. Bullies usually pick on kids who are too afraid to stand up for themselves. If the bullying continues tell your child to notify a teacher.
The best thing you can do is to approach the school officials (teachers, principals, campus police) and tell them your concerns and find out their bullying policy. Also, check the laws in your area, if you feel your child is in serious danger, contact law enforcement.
Even if your child is not being bullied, explain to them if they see someone being bullied they have an obligation to tell a teacher or school official. Not saying anything is almost as bad as bullying itself.
“Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
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Parents should be aware that there are all types of bullying, not just face-to-face bullying. Cyber-bullying is also a serious problem. The Internet makes everyone a target and bullies can hide behind a fake name online to intimidate others. Be sure you monitor your children’s online activity and any social media communities they belong to. Check their accounts periodically to see the type of messages they are sending and receiving. It is not a breach of privacy or trust to make sure your kids are safe. If your kids are being cyber-bullied they should block the senders of the messages and never respond to them! The best course of action is to disable their accounts and no longer participate in those communities where they are a target.
--TM
--TM
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