Bullying is a serious issue that affects children and adolescents every year. As parents, it’s important to be aware of the signs, know how to effectively address and prevent it, and help your child thrive emotionally and socially. The first thing to understand is what bullying is and what it’s not. Bullying happens when there’s an imbalance of power between the bully and the one being targeted. The bully will use harmful words or actions and dominating behaviors that can make their victim feel intimidated and unsafe. It is not the same as harmless teasing between friends or an argument between kids. Some children are more likely to become targets of bullying, such as those who are shy, perceived to be weaker or smaller, have disabilities or special health care needs, or have a marginalized identity including their racial and ethnic background or being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
If left unaddressed, bullying can take a toll on a child’s health, development, self-esteem, academic performance, and school attendance. If you notice signs that your child is troubled, such as problems with sleeping, loss of appetite, sudden change in their school grades, skipping school, or feelings of depression and anxiety, talk to your child to see what the root of the issues are. If you suspect that your child is being bullied, ask them questions to better understand the situation. Once you learn more, you can help make your child feel safer.
Encourage your child to not give in to their bully’s demands or give the bully a reaction. Bullies try to scare others and when they get that reaction, it can encourage them to continue. Advise your child to ignore the bully and let an adult know about the issue as soon as possible so that they can intervene appropriately. If the bully keeps harassing your child even after they ignore them, suggest to them to stand up to the bully by firmly telling them to stop the behavior or they will report them. When the bullying behavior is extreme or becomes worse, intervention from teachers, the school principal, or the bully’s parents, should be sought. Alert all parties so that they’re aware of the situation and can take the necessary actions, as well as keep a close eye on the problem.
In many cases, bullying doesn’t take place in-person at school but online instead. This is known as cyberbullying, which has increased in recent decades from social media and smartphones. It usually involves harmful messages such as texts or comments on social media, sharing embarrassing or altered pictures of the victim, making up and spreading rumors and false stories, etc. Cyberbullying can be more difficult to deal with as the bully can easily be anonymous. If your child is affected by cyberbullying, document all behaviors, messages, and harmful images and report them so that they’re taken down as soon as possible and the user gets banned or removed from the platform where the cyberbullying is taking place. Tell your child to block the bully online and from their phone so that they do not continue receiving the messages.
Lastly, it is always helpful to teach your children how to build healthy relationships so that if bullying does occur, they have a support system that they can rely on. The more isolated a child is, the easier it is for a bully to target them. By developing strong friendships, your child will have people who can stand up for them and help them get through tough situations. Our pediatricians can also help. If you have concerns about bullying and your child’s mental health, please contact our office.
