Tips for Helping Your Child Deal with School Bullies

Bullies are a problem for many children of all ages in most all grades and schools. Public or private schools have no impact on the amount of bullying that happens. Bullying at school is one of the top reasons that children miss school, due to the school bullies' threats. Here are a few tips to help your child in dealing with bullies at school.

Tip #1:
Talk to your child about school bullying. Help your child understand that even a little bullying at school is not acceptable. With school violence on the rise, a small instance of bullying at school can turn into a large problem.

Tip #2:
Listen to your child when he or she talks about school bullies, or children that push other children around. This can be a sign that your child is asking for help without using themselves as an example. Many children feel inferior in school, and dealing with bullies at school will make their self-esteem worse, therefore making them feel as if they cannot ask for help.

Tip #3:
Ask questions about the children your child comes into contact with at school. Teachers are great resources when it comes to finding out who the school bullies are. If you notice your child's grades are slipping, it may simply be due to being distracted by worrying about the school bullies.

Tip #4:
Do not confront school bullies yourself. This normally increases the amount of school bullying by that child, and it will inevitably give that bully a new target: your child. Report the bullying at school, talk to the principal or counselors at the school to alert them to the trouble.

Tip #5:
Teach your child to stand up for themselves to the bullies. Bullying at school is a constant threat to all children in class, and many children allow it to happen without reporting it or taking up for themselves. This allows the school bullying to go on unnoticed and unpunished.

Tip #6:
If possible, have an older sibling walk with the child to and from class if they attend the same school. This will help the younger child to gain confidence and feel safe, while the older sibling will more than likely not be bullied by a younger child.

Tip #7:
Do not change your child's schedule or classes to avoid a school bully. Dealing with bullies at school is a part of all students' responsibility, and the bullies should be reported and dealt with, not ran from. Running from a bully gives them what they want, and allows them control over a child.

Tip #8:
Ask your child what happens when they are bullied. If the school bullying takes place in the same area or time every day, alert a teacher or school security guard to the problem. This will make that area safer for all children attending the school.

Tip #9:
Tell your child to find an adult when bullying at school happens to them. Most bullies are only aggressive when no adults are present to witness the actions.

Tip #10:
Keep a record of the bullying of your child in a notebook with dates and times as well as the occurrences. This will aid in your child's defense should you need to contact the school board.

If bullying continues after contacting the principal and security, ask the principal for the parents' names of the bully. If this is not possible, ask for a conference with the parents at the school. If there are no other alternatives, contact your local school board and report the incidents to them.