What to do about bullying

I found out last week that one of my children is being bullied at school. Yes, my heart is breaking! But I decided to refresh my study on bullying and repost a section of an older post. For the whole post go here.

What to do if your child is being bullied

Help your child avoid interaction of any sort with the bully. Interaction with a bully only leads to more insecurity and fear. The following steps are provided by kidshealth.org:

• Don't give the bully a chance. As much as you can, avoid the bully.
• Stand tall and be brave. Sometimes just acting brave is enough to stop a bully.
• Feel good about you. Nobody's perfect, but what can you do to look and feel your best?
• Get a buddy (and be a buddy). Two is better than one if you're trying to avoid being bullied.
• Ignore the bully. Pretend you don't hear them and walk away quickly to a place of safety. Bullies want a big reaction to their teasing and meanness.
• Stand up for yourself. Pretend to feel really brave and confident. Tell the bully "No! Stop it!" in a loud voice. Then walk away, or run if you have to.
• Don't bully back. Don't hit, kick, or push back to deal with someone bullying you or your friends. It's best to stay with others, stay safe, and get help from an adult.
• Don't show your feelings. Try distracting yourself (counting backwards from 100, spelling the word 'turtle' backwards, etc.) to keep your mind occupied until you are out of the situation and somewhere safe where you can show your feelings.
• Tell an adult. If you are being bullied, it's very important to tell an adult. Find someone you trust and go and tell them what is happening to you.