5 Ways To Help Your Child Combat Bullying

More and more cases of bullying, both on cyberspace and in schools, are being reported lately with some extreme cases even resulting to loss of life. In this article, Logan Strain shares with us his views on bullying and on how we can protect our children from becoming victims of it. Logan Strain is a blogger for Instant Checkmate, a simple and convenient service that allows anyone to look up public records.

No child should have to suffer through the isolation, shame, and fear brought on by bullying It’s a cruel yet common form of psychological abuse known as “bullying.” Every day children are forced to tolerate taunts, aggression, and even physical harm from their schoolmates simply because they don’t fit in. It can be said that girls bullying and boys bullying tactics are a lot different. Boys tend to be more physical and girls tend to opt for a more verbal approach, both of which are totally unacceptable. It’s important to recognize the signs of bullying, and if left unaddressed, victims of bullying suffer from psychic wounds that can lead to a lifetime of anxiety and depression.

Knowing this, it’s heartbreaking to witness your own child suffer abuse at the hands of a bully. Seeing them be fearful to even go to school just because they can’t handle the taunts can make you feel helpless. While this isn’t an easy problem to solve, there are steps that you can take as a parent to help your child be resilient in the face of bullying and end the abuse altogether.

1) Teach Your Child How To React To Bullying

Schoolchildren are much more vulnerable to abusive comments and behaviors than adults, so it’s way harder for them to shake off rude remarks. While you might be able to dismiss people who are less than polite to you, kids who are still in the process of forming their identities take every biting barb to heart.

Build up your child’s resistance to bullying by explaining the underlying psychological motivation of bullies: they tear others down in order to feel better about themselves. Just knowing that the secret origin of schoolyard cruelty is insecurity can help you child get some much-needed perspective.

Equip your child to be more assertive (without being aggressive) by giving them stock phrases to use when they become the target of a bully, such as:

• “I don’t like it when you talk to me like that.”
• “What’s your point?”
• “You’re wasting my time.”

Bullies thrive on weakness. When they see someone actually stand up for themselves, they are more likely to move on to a new target.

2) Ask How They’re Feeling

Suffering from bullying makes your child feel isolated. Bullying victims bottle up feelings of frustration and anger. Those pent-up emotions can explode in the form of violence, dangerous behaviors, or self-harm. Help your child get a grip on their emotional state and better understand where they’re coming from by asking honestly how they’re feeling. While young people aren’t always eager to pour their heart out to their parents, offering a sympathetic ear is a simple yet powerful way to let your child know you care about them.

3) Encourage Extracurriculars

Bullying stings because it makes its targets feel worthless and unwanted. Combat this reaction by giving your child plenty of opportunities to build skills and socialize with peers in productive ways through extracurricular activities. Hobbies such as sports, music, or art will boost your child’s self-esteem and give them productive outlets. When your child knows that they can count on their circle of friends in their musical theatre troupe, ultimate frisbee group, or debate club, the taunts of a bully will be properly exposed as nothing more than the petty insults that they are.

4) Contact School Officials

Bullying thrives in school environments because authorities simply don’t know what’s going on. Don’t be ashamed to record specific instances where your child endured bullying and report them to your child’s teacher or counselor. Many schools are aware of how bullying damages the learning process, and school officials are very proactive in resolving conflicts between students.

5) Look Up Local Laws

In extreme cases, you may even want to look up local anti-bullying laws. As more legislatures become more conscious of the threat that bullying places on children, more laws that address the problem directly get passed. Parents in a town in Wisconsin even face fines if their children are caught bullying. Once you harness the force of the law, both the bully and the bully’s parents will realize just how serious you are.

Stay Strong

Bullying can take many forms: verbal threats, physical abuse, and even cyber bullying. Cyberbullying often occurs on Facebook or through text messages so maybe tell your child to avoid this form of social media. In every manifestation it takes a terrible toll on your child’s happiness and ability to learn. Only by being involved in your child’s day-to-day life and offering proper parental guidance can you help your child overcome the challenge of bullying.