Teaching your kids about bullying
Mrs Annapoorni Balan, Principal, The UN volunteers
In order to bring attention to bullying, it's important to talk to your kids about this dangerous behaviour. The fight to stop bullying is an important cause that needs to be addressed. As October month is dedicated to the National bullying prevention month, so to create an awareness in mind, here are some tips for teaching your kids about bullying.
If you find yourself Being bullied or comes face to face with a bully themselves, knowing how to properly handle the situation is of utmost importance. In general, there are three simple steps for dealing with a bully – ignore them, walk away, and tell an adult. Bullies often seek reactions, so engaging them will only encourage the behaviour to continue. Rather than risk further confrontation, it's best to leave the scene and find a trusted adult right away.
At school, this could be anyone from teachers to classroom aides to custodians – as long as they are school faculty members, all student reports will be given to the appropriate authorities.
At school, this could be anyone from teachers to classroom aides to custodians – as long as they are school faculty members, all student reports will be given to the appropriate authorities.
It's also beneficial for your kids to recognize signs that someone else is being bullied. If a friend or classmate begins to show a dramatic change in personality or emotions, this shouldn't be ignored. Whether it's a physical or emotional change, it's always best to talk to an adult and share these concerns when something doesn't seem right.
Bullies often feel a lack of control in their own lives. As a result, they may find a victim to compensate for their own problems. In many cases, bullies have issues at home, family problems, or may have even been a victim of bullying themselves. Most importantly, your kids need to remember not to take anything a bully says as fact. A bully's behavior is not a reflection on the victim, but rather the bully themselves. Hurtful words are just that – verbal jabs meant to offend – and they shouldn't be taken to heart.
Bullies often feel a lack of control in their own lives. As a result, they may find a victim to compensate for their own problems. In many cases, bullies have issues at home, family problems, or may have even been a victim of bullying themselves. Most importantly, your kids need to remember not to take anything a bully says as fact. A bully's behavior is not a reflection on the victim, but rather the bully themselves. Hurtful words are just that – verbal jabs meant to offend – and they shouldn't be taken to heart.
To understand why awareness and prevention is so important,your kids need to know the consequences of bullying. It may seem like a tough conversation, but facts are facts – kids who are bullied are more likely to develop depression and are at a greater risk of suicide. Bullies themselves are more likely to have substance abuse problems in the future, as well as become abusive towards other individuals. It's a vicious cycle that needs to stop as early as possible, and although these subjects may be difficult to discuss, they emphasize why the fight to stop bullying is so important.f bullying. It may seem like a tough conversation, but facts are facts – kids who are bullied are more likely to develop depression and are at a greater risk of suicide. Bullies themselves are more likely to have substance abuse problems in the future, as well as become abusive towards other individuals. It's a vicious cycle that needs to stop as early as possible, and although these subjects may be difficult to discuss, they emphasize why the fight to stop bullying is so important.
In today's day and age digital/internet bullying (otherwise known as cyberbullying) is a real problem. Your kids need to know that bullying is not limited to physical interactions at school or in person. Cyberbullying can be just as hurtful and damaging as traditional bullying, and the same steps should be taken. Never engage the bully. An adult needs to be notified, and the bullying should be reported to the network immediately (and even law enforcement, depending on the severity). Cyberbullying usually happens through social media and needs to be reported to the social platform right away. It doesn't matter which social media network they use – cyberbullying is not tolerated anywhere, and the “report” function exists for this very reason.
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