How to Help Your Child Deal with Bullying?
As a parent, we should know what bullying is. Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behaviour among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems. Bullying is a major issue. It can make kids feel hurt, frightened, sick, lonely, embarrassed, and sad. A bully might say mean things about someone, grab a kid’s stuff, make fun of someone, or leave a kid out of the group on purpose. Some bullies threaten people or try to make them do things against their will. Bullying can make kids not want to play outside or go to school. It’s difficult to keep your mind on schoolwork when you’re worried about how you will manage the bully in your class.
Why Do Bullies Act That Way?
Some bullies are looking for attention. They might think bullying is a way to be popular or to get what they want. When they pick on someone, it makes them feel powerful. While, some bullies come from families where everyone is angry and shouting all the time. They may think that being angry, calling names, and pushing people around is a normal way to act.
How to Handle Bullying?
Here are few points which we as a parent need to make our kids understand, so that they can implement them when they face such situations
- Stand tall and be brave
When you’re scared of another person, you’re presumably not feeling you’re bravest. However, sometimes just acting brave is enough to stop a bully. How does a brave person look and act? Stand tall and you’ll send the message: “Don’t mess with me.” It’s easier to feel brave when you feel good about yourself. - Feel good about you
Nobody’s perfect, but what can you do to look and feel your best? Perhaps, you’d like to be fit. If so, maybe you can get more exercise, watch less TV, and eat healthier snacks. Or maybe you feel you look best when you shower in the morning before school. If so, you could decide to get up a little earlier so you can be clean and refreshed for the school day. - Don’t bully back
Don’t hit, kick, or push back to deal with someone bullying you or your friends. Fighting back just satisfies a bully and it’s dangerous, too, because someone could get hurt. You’re also likely to get in trouble. - Don’t show your feelings
How can you stop yourself from getting angry or showing you’re upset? Try distracting yourself by counting backwards from 100 or spelling the word ‘turtle’ backwards, etc. to keep your mind occupied until you are out of the situation and somewhere safe where you can show your feelings. - Tell an adult
If you are being bullied, it’s very important to tell an adult. Find someone you trust and talk about what is happening to you. Teachers, principals, parents, and lunchroom helpers at school can all help to stop bullying. Sometimes bullies stop as soon as a teacher finds out because they’re afraid that they will be punished by parents. This is not tattling on someone who has done something small — bullying is wrong and it helps if everyone who gets bullied or sees someone being bullied speaks up.
No one needs to put up with a bully’s behaviour. If you or someone you know is bothered by a bully, talk to someone you trust. Everyone has the right to feel safe, and being bullied makes people feel unsafe. Tell someone about it and keep telling until something is done.