Bullying: Teach your child how to deal with school bullies

One of the biggest fears a parent has for their child when they attend school, is them being bullied. As sad as it is to believe, the world is full of people who don’t have the best intentions and willingly hurt others for their own benefit. When your own child is being bullied, it seems as though there is nothing else you can focus on until the problem is sorted. However, there is only so much that you can do for your child outside of school hours to prevent the bully getting to them. That is why it is important to teach them how to react and what to say when they are faced with the bully at school. Here are some tips from this independent prep school on teaching your child to deal with school bullies. 

Act immediately

One of the reasons that bullies continue to taunt others is because they sense the fear that they put in their victims and thrive off it. The longer the bully hurts someone, the stronger their hold becomes. This is why it is important to teach your child that if they ever sense that someone is intentionally trying to hurt them, they shouldn’t hesitate to tell you and a member of school staff. Taking action against the bully straight away is the best way to retain power and ensure the bully doesn’t carry on.

Be assertive

A bully will usually pick on a child that struggles to respond to them. Teach your child to be assertive when they are telling someone that they want to be left alone. Remind your child that any insults thrown at them have no truth and are only being said to make them feel inadequate. Remind them who they are and to always stand up for themselves no matter what.

Don’t retaliate

It’s very tempting for a child to hit back or respond in anger when being bullied or taunted. But it is important for them to learn to control their anger, as bullies thrive on the reactions and emotions of their victim. It takes a lot of practice (and self-control) for your child to remain calm in a situation like this, but it’s a useful skill. You can help them ‘practice’ by teaching them ‘cooling down’ strategies such as counting to 10, taking deep breaths, or just walking away from the situation.

Boost their confidence

Bullying often takes its toll on a child, irrespective of whether they react or not, and can affect their confidence and self-esteem. Keep communication channels with your child open and make sure you tell them how awesome they are – what one child thinks of them does not define them.

Another way to help rebuild their confidence is by making sure they spend time with friends/ elders who have a positive influence on them. You could also encourage them to join a sport or club where they feel like a valuable member of a team or group.