How to Cope With School Bullying
- 1). Look for signs that your child is being bullied. Requests to stay home from school, mood swings, isolation and a change in eating habits can all be signs that your child is having an unpleasant experience with peers at school.
- 2). Talk to your child and teach him tips for how to deal with the bully. Violence is not the answer. Tell your child to use words to stand up to the bully. If a bully makes an insulting comment, it is best for your child to walk away or to tell the bully that he is happy with himself and he does not care about the bully's opinion.
- 3). Explain to your child that most bullies are mean because they have insecurity issues of their own. Reassure your child that she is valued and loved by family and friends.
- 4). Enroll your child in an activity where he can excel and meet other children with similar interests and values. If your child has more friends in his corner, the bully may back off. Bullies look for loners who seem defenseless.
- 5). Tell your child to avoid spending excess time in the isolated areas of the school such as the restroom or locker room. Your child should use the facilities, wash her hands and get out. When kids and teens linger in the bathroom, there is no adult supervision and it is an easy place for bullies to attack.
- 6). Know when to get the school and teachers involved. If your child is being physically harmed, the proper authorities must know before the situation escalates. Not contacting the school because your child is embarrassed can cause your child or other students to be injured.
- 7). Buy your child books that she can relate to. The books can either be self-help books for young people or fictional novels where characters go through similar situations.
- 8). Call the bully's parents if necessary. If the bully is carrying a gun, sporting a knife or doing something else that goes beyond normal childhood cruelty, it could save your child's life and the life of the bully if the other child's parents are in the loop.
- 9). Make an appointment with a therapist if your child is becoming seriously depressed or having anxiety attacks from the bullying.
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