In the past, bullying was only common in middle schools, but now the problem has trickled down to the lowest grades. So, as a parent, you should know how to deal with mean kids who bully your child at school. In this article, you will learn how to cope with bullying in your child’s school.
What Is Bullying?
Bullying is an uninvited, aggressive behavior from one person or a group of persons to another. This behavior is very common in schools, where there is a real or superficial power imbalance. Unfortunately, this behavior can be repeated over time, especially if the school administration, teachers, and parents don’t take the necessary steps to prevent it. Also, this behavior can cause serious lasting psychological and physical damage to those who are bullied and the ones who bully them.
However, it is important to note that not all violent behaviors toward other people are considered bullying. For it to amount to bullying, the behavior has to be aggressive and include power imbalance and repetition. There are three main types of bullying: social bullying, verbal bullying, and physical bullying. In schools, bullying normally happens during or after school hours. Although most cases of bullying happen in classrooms and other school buildings, it can also happen on playgrounds and school buses.
How to Deal with Bullying
If your child is a victim of bullying, you need to take immediate steps to stop it before it causes serious physical and psychological damages to your child. The first thing you need to do is to know when and why your child is a victim of bullying. You can do this by sitting down with your child and having a candid talk about their relationship with other students. Always ask your child some friendly questions about their situation at school. This will help you to know which pupils they are getting along with and which ones they are not and why. However, the best way to deal with bullying is to prevent it before it starts.
This talk should start well before bullying starts. So, just keep it general for your child so that they can remain comfortable and open up to you. But if you notice signs of trouble in your child or they have talked about having problems, press them for more details. Once you establish that your child is being bullied, notify the school administration immediately for action.
You can do this by teaching your child phrases that they can use to tell their fellow students to stop bullying them and promote positive body language. You should also keep communications with your child open all the time and build confidence in them.
