Here are some tips for teaching your child about bullies in school.
Sadly, these are the days of extreme bullying in and out of school. Now there’s even “cyber bullying ” on the internet.
Teaching our youth how to recognize a bully is challenging. Yet, it can be done! It is a great concern to all parents who send their kids to school and hope that they are not a victim of a bully. However, you can instill in your child not to be a victim.
Educate Them
First, this can be accomplished by giving them a true definition of a bully. What I told my children is that a bully is a weak and troubled individual. Meaning, he/she can be experiencing some form of mental and/or physical abuse at home and that bullying is there way of “venting” those frustrations. It is totally inappropriate and inexcusable to be bullied by anyone.
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
Making sure that you keep the daily lines of communication with your child is the most important step. Just don’t ask how was your day and accept a generic answer. Ask questions about classroom friends, lunch room habits and their trips home. All of this is asked while looking the child directly in the eye. No one but a parent is going to know if the child is being truthful or not. Talk to your child about the signs of a bully so that they have a better comprehension and can recognize the characteristics. In my opinion, some of the signs of a bully are:
– lack of empathy for others
– opportunist behavior (strikes when an adult is not looking)
– refuses to accept responsibility for wrong behaviors (the other person always deserves it)
– will not see another persons point of view
– enjoys inflicting pain and embarrassment to others
– is overly concerned with others showing them “respect”
– wants to be feared
– a very sore loser
– gets pleasure from always being in control
Teach Them to Lead, Not Follow
When you think about, it all bullies need professional help. Unfortunately, you are not the one who can help them. Yet, what you can do is make sure that your child is a leader and not a follower. Also, ensure that your child knows his or her own self worth. Make sure that they know that no one has the right to disrupt their day to day confidence while in or out of school.
Your child must always be comfortable when speaking with you about any topic. Communication, whether it be at dinner, before bed, at breakfast or while watching television is paramount to any parents day to day knowledge of their child’s well being in and out of school. My only wish is that I hope this advice about teaching your child about bullies in school can inspire and enlighten parents to be more involved with their children.
Posted by Eve