How to Help Your Child from Becoming a Victim of Bullying

Unfortunately, bullying that takes place in schools can and has at times resulted in horrific tragedy. Schools are federally mandated to have measures in place to help prevent bullying from happening and you can find out what is being done to prevent bullying in your child’s school by contacting your local school administrator. However, there are additional steps a parent can take to educate their child to help reduce the risk of being bullied.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Teach your child the sunshine rule. Bullying often takes place in isolated or secluded areas of campus. Have your child learn to “hang out” in areas that are open and easily visible to staff and faculty

2. Teach your child the safety route rule. Since bullying takes place most often in isolated or secluded areas of the campus, the route your child takes to get around campus should be pre-planned to avoid those areas where bullies tend to gravitate. It would be a good idea for you and your child to make a map of the campus indicating the best route your child should take to avoid the bullies and have it approved by the school. Be sure to revise the map when necessary.

3. Teach your child the strength in numbers rule. Have your child learn to go where there is a group that is absent of bullies. Show your child, as an example, that in nature animals protect themselves by keeping near groups. Let your child also know that it is okay to stay close to a group on non-bullies even if no one in that group is a friend.

4. Teach your child the stand tall rule. Teach your child to be confident, but humble. It can be just as detrimental for your child to be viewed by others as being too confident as it is being viewed as being too insecure. Teach your child the importance of having a balance of humility and confidence expressed in their body language (head up, back straight, shoulder back) and deportment (cool-headed, self-control, good attitude).

5. Teach your child the step away rule. Teach your child that a potential or escalating bullying episode can be defused by simply walking away and going to a safe place. Be sure your child knows it is not cowardly to walk away. Instruct your child to always report the incident to his or her teacher.

6. Teach your child the share time rule. Your child needs to be able to have someone he or she is comfortable to talk freely with. Take the opportunity to know what is going on in your child’s school day by setting aside a few minutes each day to talk. Don’t turn this conversation into interrogation where all you do is drill your child with questions. The conversation should be a dialogue that is fun and interesting.

Tips & Warnings

• If you know your child is being bullied report it to the school administration immediately. If you suspect your child is being bullied I suggest the following. Send your child to school with copies of a note that say: Dear (teacher’s name), I have instructed my child to give you a copy of this note every time in the event that he or she has been bullied today. Please follow up and keep this note for documentation. Thank you, (parent’s name). This is done not for the purpose of being able to say “gotcha” to embarrass or besmirch the teacher. Simply put . . . a teacher cannot provide assistance or intervention when they have no knowledge that your child is being bullied. The downside of this method is that child may use it just to get another child in trouble. Explain how to use the note responsibly.
• You want your child to avoid being bullied, but you don’t want your child to hide in the shadows or run scared.

[nanamusicgirl]

on 8/24/2009 Very good article!!! All parents need to read this!