The new school year is right around the corner, and the issue of school-age bullying is going to be right there with it. During the last school year we had some great discussions at our Town Hall event sponsored by Richmondmom.com and Commonwealth Parenting, in our articles about the Bully Documentary, and on our Facebook page. With September approaching, now is the time to reignite discussions about respecting our peers, supporting those who are being targeted by bullies, and handling disagreements with maturity and civility.
Man, all of that sounds both obviously simple and frustratingly difficult at the same time.
Luckily, we as parents are not alone. The Federal Government continues to publish useful, real-world information for parents and educators on how to identify, respond to, and prevent bullying situations at www.StopBullying.gov. The comprehensive site includes information on common risk factors and warning signs, such as changes in eating habits, declining grades or self-destructive behaviors that adults can look for throughout the school year.
Also highlighted on the site is a toolkit that adults and schools can use to jumpstart school-based and community-based programs to help prevent bullying, as well as specific steps to follow to respond to existing bullying behaviors.
Because our children can spend much of their time online, www.StopBullying.gov also has information on cyberbullying as well as a section written specifically for kids that includes videos and games that help deliver useful information in a kid-relatable format.
This is especially important, points out Susan Brown, Assistant Director of Commonwealth Parenting, because involving our kids in the discussion and solutions is critical to the success of any prevention programs we put in place.
Susan shares the following reminders for parents as we gear up for the new school year:
— Be watchful of areas where bullying is most likely to occur, such as the bus stop. Organize with neighbors to have a parent present each morning and afternoon to deter bullying situations.
— Create an environment of openness and understanding with your children, where they are free to share. Kids will open up if they feel safe and heard.
— Pay close attention to your child’s behavior at home – for example if he or she is feigning illness to not go to school, find out the root of the problem.
— If you suspect your child is being bullied, get on top of the issue immediately, rather than take a wait-and-see approach. If you suspect the situation is ongoing or dangerous, click here for more information on what to do.
— Parents should respectfully but persistently expect schools to be involved with this issue, both in a preventative manner but also with each bullying incidence that arises with their students, be it at school, on the bus, or online.
Regardless of whether or not your child is being bullied, is at risk of becoming a bully, has been a bystander, or perhaps an UPstander, as a parent you absolutely have a child who fits somewhere on the bullying spectrum. This issue belongs to us all.
We at Richmondmom.com want to thank our readers and sponsors who have participated in and supported this ongoing discussion. Thank you to those who have helped supply us with information, perspectives, personal stories and expertise. You are our partners in this and together we can create school environments where all of our children feel safe and supported.
NOTE: Be sure and check out the valuable information and tips in the Brain Balance newsletter. Click here.
