Bullying can become so brutal that a child can be hospitalized from a beating, such as the one in the video above. So what can you do if your child is being bullied?
* Encourage your child to share his or her concerns. Remain calm, listen in a loving manner and support your child’s feelings. Express understanding and concern. Remind your child that he or she isn’t to blame for being bullied.
* Learn as much as you can about the situation. Ask your child to describe how and when the bullying occurs and who is involved. Ask if other children or adults have witnessed any bullying incidents. Find out what your child may have done to try to stop the bullying.
* Teach your child how to respond to the bullying. Don’t promote retaliation or fighting back against a bully. Instead, encourage your child to maintain his or her composure. Suggest sticking with a friend or group of friends while on the bus, in the cafeteria or wherever the bullying seems to happen. Remind your child that he or she can ask teachers or other school officials for help.
* Contact school officials. Talk to your child’s teacher, the school counselor and the school principal. If your child has been physically attacked or otherwise threatened with harm, talk to school officials immediately to help determine if the police should be involved. Don’t contact the bully’s parents yourself. You may also want to encourage school officials to address bullying as part of the curriculum.
* Follow up. Keep in contact with school officials. If the bullying seems to continue, be persistent.
* Boost your child’s self-confidence. Help your child get involved in activities that can raise self-esteem, such as sports, music or art. Encourage your child to make contact with friendly students in his or her class and develop his or her social skills.
* Know when to seek professional help. Consider professional or school counseling for your child if his or her fear or anxiety becomes overwhelming.
Parents the next time your child comes to you listen to their concerns, you don’t want them to end up committing suicide because they didn’t feel they have anyone to talk to. All a child really wants is to feel that someone is concerned about them. Don’t always assume they are tatling on another student.
