Pediatric Health The Newsletter About Taking Care Of The Ones That Matter Most
“Parents Play A Huge Role In Reducing Bullying Amongst Their Children!” August 2018 PROTECTING YOUR CHILD FROM BULLIES
2. Safety in Numbers If children know they may encounter a bully in a particular place it may be a good idea to be surrounded by supportive friends. Whether it’s classmates, friends, neighbors, or adults, kids need to surround themselves with people who they feel comfortable with and can trust. Bullies often gain their power from making their victims feel powerless and isolated. Sticking with others, especially when the bully is around, should be a priority. 3. Ignore a Bully if Possible While it may not always be possible to ignore the actions of a bully, this approach is often the best. Bullies are looking for a reaction. Children should be taught not to get angry, cry, or lash out at the bully since this will only encourage the bully to continue their behavior. Ignoring a bully, however, should only be encouraged the first few times the bullying occurs. If the bullying happens on a regular basis ignoring the behavior probably isn’t going to work. 4. Don’t Bully Back As tempting as it may be, bullying back will only make things worse. For starters, if a child bullies back he or she may be the one to get caught and get punished for bullying even though someone else was initially at fault. Even if in some circumstances a child could intimidate the bully, this is not the way children should be taught to resolve difficult issues.
5. Stay Safe Online Cyberbullying occurs online through emails, text messaging, and social media. Whether a child is in elementary school or high school age, there are a few important things to keep in mind when online. First, kids should never put their private information on the Internet. Children should never respond to the bully and negative information should be saved if possible. Finally, delete bullies from social media and block their cell phone and email address. 6. Tell a Trusted Adult Even if children believe they’re handling a situation with a bully on their own, a trusted adult should still be made aware of the situation. If for some reason the situation should suddenly escalate, adults need to know what’s been happening before something serious takes place.The concept of what “tattling” is and isn’t needs to be well defined. Children need to know that if another person is hurting them or someone else in any way that it is acceptable to tell an adult. Following these steps can go a long way in preventing bullying and dealing with it effectively once it has started. Children need to be told at a young age how to appropriately respond to bullying whether it happens to themselves or those around them.
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