Bullying is a serious matter even kindergarten and
elementary school children may be faced with. “Children and adolescents who
are involved in bullying (either as an aggressor, as a victim, or both) put
themselves at risk for a number of emotional and behavioral problems, now and
in the future, and require support to learn how to develop healthy relationships.”
To see an extensive list of
dangers from bullying see this.
This problem is not limited to school age kids. It impacts
health, safety, and well-being of individuals of all ages and radiates out to
the nation and world we live in.
October is National Stop Bullying
Month and your chance to Go Blue! Celebrate Blue Shirt Day®World Day of Bullying Prevention™ on October 2, 2017 by wearing your blue. Find out where and when additional October activities are being sponsored in your area and take part. Do your share to raise awareness about bullying prevention. If your town or city doesn't have activities on the calendar, take the lead and organize one.
Here's a description of bullying from the National Crime Prevention Council
Bullying is:
·
Fighting, threatening, name-calling, teasing, or excluding someone
repeatedly and over time
·
An imbalance of power, such as size or popularity
·
Physical, social, and emotional harm
·
Hurting another person to get something
What Can You Do to Reduce Bullying?
Bullying: How parents can take action to prevent bullying
"For the Parents of kids being bullied:
Observe your child for signs they might be being bullied
Children may not always be
vocal about being bullied. Signs include: ripped clothing, hesitation about
going to school, decreased appetite, nightmares, crying, or general depression
and anxiety. If you discover your child is being bullied, don’t tell them to
“let it go” or “suck it up”. Instead, have open-ended conversations where you
can learn what is really going on at school so that you can take the
appropriate steps to rectify the situation. Most importantly, let your child
know you will help him/her and that they should try not to fight back
Teach your child how to handle being bullied
Until something can be done
on an administrative level, work with your child to handle bullying without
being crushed or defeated. Practice scenarios at home where your child learns
how to ignore a bully and/or develop assertive strategies for coping with
bullying. Help your child identify teachers and friends that can help them if
they’re worried about being bullied.
Set boundaries with technology
Educate your children and yourself about cyberbullying and teach
your children not to respond or forward threatening emails. “Friend” your child
on Facebook or Myspace, and set up proper filters on your child’s computer.
Make the family computer the only computer for children, and have it in a
public place in the home where it is visible and can be monitored. If you
decide to give your child a cell phone think carefully before allowing them to
have a camera option. Let them know you will be monitoring their text messages.
As a parent, you can insist that phones are stored in a public area, such as
the kitchen, by a certain time at night to eliminate nighttime bullying and
inappropriate messaging. Parents should report bullying to the school, and
follow up with a letter that is copied to the school superintendent if their
initial inquiry receives no response.
Parents
should report all threatening messages to the police and should document any
text messages, emails or posts on websites.
For the Parents of kids engaged in bullying:
Stop bullying before it starts
Educate your children about bullying. It is possible that your
child is having trouble reading social signs and does not know what they are
doing is hurtful. Remind your child that bullying others can have legal
consequences.
Make
your home “bully free”
Children learn behavior through their parents. Being exposed to
aggressive behavior or an overly strict environment at home makes kids more
prone to bully at school. Parents/caregivers should model positive examples for
your child in your relationships with other people and with them.
Look
for self-esteem issues
Children with low self-esteem often bully to feel better about
themselves. Even children who seem popular and well-liked can have mean
tendencies. Mean behavior should be addressed by parents and disciplined."
Stand
up against hate, racism, and discrimination. Change lives and the future by
teaching your children to practice inclusion, equality, civility, and unity. Take positive steps that show you're kind rather than cruel. Say no to bullies everywhere.
Has bullying been a problem that has affected your family, friends, or acquaintances? Was it dealt with in an effective way? Please share any tips, ideas, or thoughts about this important subject in the comments section below.
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This post has been shared at Healthy-Happy-Green-and-Natural-Party-Blog-Hop-173
This post has been shared at Oh My Heartsie Girls Link Party
This post has been shared at NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY #254!
