How to Help Kids Who are Getting Bullied
When a child is the target of a bully this is tremendously upsetting and may make the child withdraw and refuse to go to school. Being subjected to bullying can be so damaging that some children develop emotional issues as a result. Being bullied is a nightmare. Harmless teasing is one thing but bullying goes way beyond that. Bullying is unkind, hurtful, constant and tormenting. The torments can be psychological, verbal and physical.
Instructions
Talk to Your Kid
Tell your children that if they are being bullied, they should tell an adult. If they see bullying, they should report it to an adult. If your child confides that he is being bullied, let him know that he is courageous to talk about it with you. If you have older children, they may be able to communicate their experiences with bullying to their younger siblings and how they handled the situation. The younger child may be more receptive to an older sibling than to a parent. Handling bullies may become easier when kids remember the expression "Talk, walk, squawk," advises Webmd.com. If your child thinks it's safe, she should talk to the bully. Look her right in the eye and say, "You don't scare me." Do not run away. Walk away. After the encounter, tell an adult. This is the "squawk" part. Advise your child if he is being bullied online or via a text message not to respond. The child should show the message to an adult and block the sender. Explain emotional or social bullying to your child. This occurs when a child is excluded, which is a painful experience. Girls tend to bully in this fashion more so than boys. Other forms of bullying include gossiping and "back-stabbing." Talk to your child about these types of behavior. Think of good ways for her to react or respond or not react or respond at all. Tell her that using a sense of humor is a great way to be assertive. Help your child come up with some creative ideas that lessen the sting of bullying and may end it entirely because the bully isn't getting the reaction she wants. Tell your child that although it is tempting to fight back when bullied, this may not be a good idea because the situation can escalate into something extremely dangerous. Suggest that he walk away if at all possible, advises Kidshealth.org. Other Ideas
Advise your child to stay with a friend or buddy so that he is never in a situation where he is alone with the bully. Tell him to try to avoid the bully. Your child can return the favor to someone who is also being bullied by being his buddy. Tell your child to try not to get angry when being bullied because that's exactly what the bully is striving for. He loves it when his victim gets mad. If the child can refrain from getting angry or crying, which are the reactions the bully wants, he will beat the bully at his own game. Practice tricks such as counting to 10 or taking deep breaths. Tell your child to wear a "poker face" until he is out of danger. Inform your child that walking away is not cowardly. Ignore the bully, stand tall and get out of there. If the bully persists, the child should tell him emphatically to knock it off and then ignore his nasty remarks. Tell your child to act as though he is texting someone or talking to someone on his phone. Advise your child to appear uninterested in the bully's comments and behavior. Remove the incentive. If the bully wants something that you have -- your phone for example -- quit bringing it to school with you or don't let him see it.
