Bullying is, unfortunately, a very common experience for kids all around the world.
Behavior
How to Help a Bullied Child at School
Bullying is, unfortunately, a very common experience for kids all around the world.
It can involve many hurtful actions, such as verbal abuse, threats, spoiling someone’s reputation, physical violence, and much more. The advent of the internet has also brought a range of new tools for bullies to use to upset their targets.
Education resources
So, how can you help a bullied child at school?
If you are the parent or teacher of a bullied child, there are several actions you can take to help them. After all, no child should suffer the pain that comes with being targeted. If you’re unsure where to start, we’ve put together a quick guide to supporting bullied kids:
Get to know how bullying begins
According to recent statistics, over 20% of American students report being bullied, demonstrating the sheer scale of the issue. In this way, it may be helpful to remind bullied children that they are not alone and that plenty of other kids are going through the same problems. If you are a parent, it may also be helpful to remind yourself of this fact every so often to avoid placing too much blame on the bullies.
Indeed, rather than taking a retributive stance, it is important to take a realistic look at the phenomenon of bullying and to understand that bullies often start targeting people for a range of complex psychological reasons. This kind of reasoned outlook will help you when it comes to finding solutions to bullying.
Understand the effects of bullying
Before bullying can be tackled, it needs to be properly identified. Bullied kids tend to experience a sudden behavior change and may not be able to socialize or carry out everyday activities like they used to. If a child shows signs of fear when going to school or their grades start falling, bullying may represent the root of the problem.
Give them space to open up to you
If you suspect your child or student is being bullied, allow them to open up to you on their terms. Probing them for specific details of their personal lives can feel aggressive and intrusive and may make them reluctant to talk to you.
Try asking general questions about their feelings and letting them know you are worried about them. This may help them to feel comfortable telling you about incidents of bullying.
Encourage them to get on with business as usual
Once you have established that a child is being bullied, encourage them to put it to the back of their minds and remind them that the bully is the one that is in the wrong. You can then get on with finding solutions to the problem.
If you are a parent, try cheering your child up with a fun day out with their friends. If you are an educator, try offering them an encouraging one-to-one chat, detailing their strengths and reassuring them that you will work hard to address the bullying.
Taking action
Most bullying occurs on or around school grounds, so school is the best place to establish resolutions. Indeed, schools usually have protocols to make parents, students, and teachers aware of bullying issues, focusing on preventing it entirely.
If you are a parent of a bullied child, you should try contacting their school as soon as you find out about the bullying. The school will then be able to take the necessary actions to prevent future occurrences. This could include punishments for bullies and special programs to help them address their underlying problems. You can report bullying incidents to your school’s behavioral or pastoral staff if you are a teacher.
Of course, there are plenty of measures schools can take to tackle bullying. If you are an educator or are involved in running a school, this article offers some creative advice about strengthening its anti-bullying message.
Remember to monitor the child after the action has been taken
Once some form of action has been taken to curb the bullying, remember to stay alert to signs of further distress. Unfortunately, some bullies find new ways to get to their targets after receiving punishment for their actions. Monitoring the child will ensure that bullying isn’t allowed to continue unchecked.
