Teaching Your Child to Overcome Bullies

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Teaching Your Child to Overcome Bullies

" No one can make you feel inferior without your consent " ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Bullying can happen at school, on the playground, through text messages or on

the web.

Whether it is a face-to-face confrontation, a message on a cell phone or an

internet communication, bullying is a serious problem and can cause long term

distress. From anxiety to social withdrawal to physical ailments, the

repercussions of bullying can filter into all areas of a child’s life. There

has been much talk about bullying, but the severity of the problem would

surprise most. Half of public school principals report that bullying,

name-calling or harassment of students is a very real problem at their school.

And, according to the book “Bullies and Victims in Schoolsâ€:

- 96 percent of children will be bullied at least once in their lifetime.

-46 percent of those children will suffer poor grades or will abstain from extra

curricular activities because of the bullying.

- 2 percent of those children will commit suicide because of the constant

harassment from classmates.

These statistics are alarming and warrant action. Parents in Marlborough need to

take them to heart and arm their children to properly handle a bullying

situation should they encounter one. The first step, though, is to help protect

your children from being bullied in the first place. The best way for parents to

do this is by following these steps:

1. Maintaining open lines of communication: Talk to your children often,

letting them know that you are always available to listen. Ask them about school

and their friends, encouraging them to talk about any problems or concerns they

may have. By validating their feelings, parents let their children know that

they are there to help.

2. Instilling a strong sense of self-confidence: Children who have a well

developed self-esteem are less likely to fall victim to bullies.

3. Building social skills: ing and developing your children’s

friendships creates a sense of belonging and will provide opportunities and the

desire to become involved in group activities such as sports, drama or art.

Groups are much less likely to be targeted by bullies.

4. Teaching children how to speak up for themselves: By teaching a child to

become his own advocate, parents provide him with the skills necessary to seek

and talk to trusted adults should they feel uncomfortable, threatened or in

danger.

5. Providing a safe environment for their children to play: Children should

not be allowed to play in empty playgrounds or parks if they are unsupervised.

Parents needs to know where their children are and with whom .

6. Monitoring computer use: By placing computers in the family living space

parents can monitor what their children are doing on-line and children will be

less likely to engage in unpleasant interactions or conversations. Limiting

internet use will reduce the chance that a problem might occur.

Bullying is frightening and humiliating and has the potential to literally

destroy lives. It is a parent’s job to empower his children to combat the

attacks of a bully while at the same time making sure that home is a place of

refuge.