Interactive Anti-Bullying Tool for Parents and what you can do

The Anti-Bullying Alliance has released an interactive tool for parents that give you information about bullying, the type & forms of bullying, group bullying, what you, the police, or the school can do, and more.

Overpowering or Bullying someone for no reason is a common and sad event that is common. School is one of the places where it happens often, and it leaves terrible marks both from a psychological and physical perspectives. It’s not only important to know if this is happening to your kids, but it’s also important to educate them, yourself as a parent, and know what you can do to stop this.

It’s a general human behavior to take over someone using words or physically. Kids who bully around are as much confused as those who are getting bullied. They just do it because they can, and many a time the environment at home make them do it unknowingly. It’s also important for those kids to get their behavior sorted.

In this post, I am talking about what it means and what you can do about it.

What is Bullying when it comes kids

Bullying is a repeating event where kids who are either physically strong or smart with their words keep hurting kids who are not at their level. Even though kids who bully don’t have any idea how bad it hurts, it’s intentional because they think it’s fun. Usually, it’s done by a group, but it can be done by an individual as well.

Some examples of Bullying

Making fun of appearances.
Making fun of their intelligence level or school marks.
Making them do their homework which usually happens with smarter kids.
Taunting them about their parents or friends.
Sometimes they are hidden as well. People spread rumors, making them get ignored and so on.

In short, it can be verbal, physical or even online. Do check out more about Cyberbullying here.

How to know if your kid is getting Bullied

Nobody knows your kid better than you. A small shift from their usual behavior should alarm you. Even though it may not be bullying, if you skip or don’t understand there is something wrong with your kid, it gets worse for the whole family. Here are some signs you should keep track of kids:

The sudden loss of interest in going to school or college.
Spending time alone at some corner of the house or locking themselves in a room.
They are angry, upset, and crying even over small things.
Running away from normal things.
Physical marks on their body, which they might try to cover up behind a small accident.

How to prevent bullying

The first step needs to be taken by you as a parent. Not every kid is smart or strong or even bold enough to withstand the pressure of the outside world. You need to make them stronger.

Assure them that you are always with them no matter how worse the situation is for them. Many a time, kids are scared to tell because they are already insulted and could feel the same reaction coming from you.
Talk to them every day, and ask them about small things that help them to say the thing they might have been holding back because of hesitation.
Show confidence in them for what they do, even if it’s a small thing. If your kid has learned how to keep his room clean, appreciate it. These small things will boost his confidence, and he or she will withstand pressure in school in a much better way.
Team them the difference between Bullying and what is a one-off incident. Sometimes people do it without intention or even accidentally. Unless it’s getting repeated, it’s not bullying.

How to report Bullying

Now that you are talking to your kid, it’s time to start making a record of the incidents he has shared with you. While it may look like a lot, but it’s an important thing too, because when you go out to defend your kid, you have some hard facts which neither the school nor the person bullying remembers.

Next, get in touch with School or college authority. While you may call, it’s always a good idea to go and meet them in person. This shows you are serious about it, and the school authority pays attention. Share the notes you have collected with them, and they will be bound to investigate further.

If your school fails you, it’s time to look at its policies. Every school has a code of conduct that talks about how they handle it when it comes to bullying. Ask for a copy of the school’s policy, and make a note of it.

Post this, prepare a handwritten letter to the School’s Head talking about the incidents, a copy of the list of incidents, quote the school’s policies and give them in person. This should be enough to draw their attention.

Check out the Anti-Bullying Tool

To check out the interesting tool from Anti-Bullying Alliance visit anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk here. Before you begin, you will have to use their Browser Checker Tool before starting this training module to make sure you have the correct system requirements.

Lastly, if your child Bullys…

This is as bad as getting bullied, and if this is the case, you should take the matter seriously. Becoming a Bully can take your kid on the wrong path in their life, and even if they don’t become bad as criminals, it does affect how they treat everyone else. Here is what you should do:

Talk to your kid, and try to figure out why he might be acting like that. Many a time, it’s mere frustration of something that he taking out somebody else.
Take a moment to think about how things are at your home. Is there something that your kid is learning from you, and replicate it there?
Talk to your Kid’s Teachers for more details. Also, get teachers in confidence not to tell you about your meeting to your kid.
Sometimes, you might have to take medical help to get things sorted if things are very bad.

It’s important and a responsibility as a parent for your kids. Do not run away from this.