Last week, I had lunch with a friend of mine. Aside from catching up and chatting about our lives, she shared with me that her daughter was being bullied at school. It was heartbreaking to hear her recount some of the horrible things her daughter had experienced. From bullying in the lunchroom to bullying in the locker room, kids at her daughter's school seemed to be zeroing in on her.
But I have to hand it to my friend. She handled the situation with poise and determination. Although she was quick to defend her daughter, report incidents to the school and encourage them to evaluate their school bullying prevention programs, she also didn't jump in and try to fix things or take over. She supported her daughter and empowered her to be involved in handling the situation.
Together, they tackled the bullying incidents, some of which involved bullying incidents at school and some of which involved cyberbullying. And even more importantly they talked daily about what was going on. In the long run, her daughter will overcome bullying much more quickly than if my friend had rescued her.
If you are a parent concerned about bullying in your child's life, it is important to be able to spot bullying and to take steps to prevent bullying as well. It's also a good idea to know in advance how you would handle a bullying situation. Check out my article 6 Things to Say to Your Kids When They Are Bullied for a few ideas.
For more ideas on preventing and responding to bullying and cyberbullying, check out the following articles:
- 6 Ways Kids Use Technology to Bully and Harass Others
- How to Keep Your Kids Safe from Cyberbullying
- 8 Skills Kids Need to Avoid Bullies at School
- Top 8 Ways to Spot a Bully
- Do Girls and Boys Bully Differently?
- 13 Ways to Build Resiliency and Prevent Bullying
Remember, you can always send me an e-mail or connect with me on Twitter.
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