Most of us at some point in our life has dealt with a bully.   It's no fun.  As a parent, it breaks your heart to see this happen to your child.   You want them to be safe and feel safe, and bullying destroys that.   Another very frightening thing for parents is the addition of cyber bullying.  Now children can't even feel safe at home.

The most important step, and the first step to fight bullying is awareness.  That's why October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.  The more we talk about it, the more we can see and address bullying as it happens.

As a parent, I recommend you visit StopBullying.gov and read up on the resources.   Talk to your child's school and ask what policies are in place to deal with bullying.

Here is a great example from the site about what you can do when you see kids bullying:

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time. There are simple steps adults can take to stop bullying on the spot and keep kids safe.

Do:

  • Intervene immediately. It is ok to get another adult to help.
  • Separate the kids involved.
  • Make sure everyone is safe.
  • Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs.
  • Stay calm. Reassure the kids involved, including bystanders.
  • Model respectful behavior when you intervene.

Avoid these common mistakes:

  • Don’t ignore it. Don’t think kids can work it out without adult help.
  • Don’t immediately try to sort out the facts.
  • Don’t force other kids to say publicly what they saw.
  • Don’t question the children involved in front of other kids.
  • Don’t talk to the kids involved together, only separately.
  • Don’t make the kids involved apologize or patch up relations on the spot.

Check out the stopbullying.gov website for more information.

 

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