Tips For Parents On How To Deal With Bullying

by: admin | Total views: 94 | Word Count: 460 | View PDF | Print View

 by: News Canada

Often a serious problem for kids

(NC)-Bullying behaviour may seem rather insignificant
compared to the trouble that some kids can get into. In fact, it is
often dismissed as just another part of "growing up."

It shouldn't be.

Statistics show that one in four children who bully will
have a criminal record before the age of thirty. Teasing at bus stops,
taking other children's lunch money, insults and threats, kicking and
punching - it's all fair game to the bully. On the flip side, fear of
bullies causes many kids to avoid school or carry and even use weapons
for protection. While everyone is a potential bullying target, victims
typically tend to be shy, sensitive, anxious, or insecure. Children are
picked on for many reasons, including being overweight, being small,
having a disability, or being an ethno-cultural minority.

If you suspect that one of your children is being bullied, here are some tips on what to do:

• Listen. Encourage your children to talk about school,
  social events, other kids in class, and the walk or ride to and from
  school so you can identify any problems they may be having.
• Take their complaints of bullying seriously.
  Probing a seemingly minor incident may uncover something more serious.
  Children are often afraid or ashamed to tell anyone that they have been
  bullied.
• Watch for symptoms of victimization such as withdrawal, a drop in grades, torn clothes, or demands for extra money.
  
• Tell the school or day care immediately if you think that your children are being bullied.
  
• Work with other parents to ensure that the children in your neighbourhood are supervised on their way to and from school.
  
• Don't bully your children yourself, physically
  or verbally. Use non-physical, consistently-enforced discipline
  measures. Don't ridicule, yell at, or ignore your children when they
  misbehave.
• Teach them the social skills they need to make
  friends. A confident, resourceful child who has friends is less likely
  to be bullied or to bully others.
• Praise kindness toward others. Show children that kindness is valued.
  
• Teach children ways to resolve arguments without
  violent words or actions. Talk about self-protection skills - how to
  walk confidently, to stay alert to their environment, and to stand up
  for themselves verbally.
• Recognize that bullies may be acting out
  feelings of insecurity, anger, or loneliness. If your child is a bully,
  try to get to the root of the problem. Seek out specific strategies you
  can use at home from a teacher, school counsellor, or child
  psychologist.

For more information on bullying and how early childhood
intervention programs are helping to reduce bullying in communities
across Canada, visit the National Crime Prevention Centre Web site at www.crime-prevention.org or call toll-free 1-877-302-NCPC.

About the Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Rating: Not yet rated

Comments

Add Comment

Copy and Paste Article Code.

Remember: The article body, title, author bio and links may not be changed or removed. By publishing this article, you agree to all the terms in our Terms of Service.

More articles in this Category

1: 7 Tips to Help Busy Parents Juggle Work and Family
2: Your Child’s Self-Esteem is in The Cards
3: "You Make Me Sick" and other things Parents Say in Anger
4: Work at Home Jobs and the Internet
5: Words of Wisdom for Single Parents