Inspiring a Change in Bullying – If you are a teacher or a caregiver, there are some tips I would like to share with you to help you tackle this topic with your students.

Bullying seems to be an issue found in every school today, and teachers and parents should not take this lightly.

Children bully for many reasons and sometimes those reasons resolve themselves. However, there are other times where permanent damage such as physical and emotional injury is done to those who are targeted.

Teachers are often the first adults to realize that bullying is occurring because they can observe children interacting. Helping a bullying victim can be a sensitive matter, but both bullies and kids being bullied must be dealt with to ensure that it stops.

Tip #1 – Let the student being bullied know that you care about them and what they have to say.

Encourage them to have a bold voice in the matter and make them understand how concerned you are about what’s happening. Keep in mind, being overly sympathetic especially in front of others can be counterproductive. Do not try to discuss the problem with a student until you are alone or not in the presence of any other children. Ask for the truth and request them to tell you exactly what is happening and reassure them that their feelings are normal and that it is not their fault.

Tip #2: Encourage them to talk about it.

Encourage the student experiencing bullying that talking about their problem to you and their parents will help the situation and is the right thing to do. Give tools and information to cope with and prevent further bullying issues. But, remember to listen first!

Tip #3: Talking to the parents is important when inspiring change in bullying.

Parents and teachers working together is the best way to stop bullying and to help a bullying victim. You should even speak with the parents of the bully so that they can address the problem as a collective family. Give a detailed explanation of what is happening in a non-confrontational manner and dispel any misunderstandings about bullying that parents may have. Let them know your own personal morals and values you may have about bullying. Share your own experiences about it growing up as a child and how it affected you.

Many parents think that bullying is typical and is no big deal, but once they know how dangerous it can be, they will be more concerned. You should give parents tools and information to help them address bullying issues with their child (bully or victim) and encourage them to talk about it. Once they realize that they are not alone, they’ll be more willing to open up and can begin to start taking steps to resolve their own issues and to stop the cycle.

Teachers play an important role in inspiring a change in bullying.

The bullying victim and the bully should be counseled on ways to deal with their issues to avoid bullying in the future.

So, let’s recap… 

Bullying is a very common problem that children face, and eventually you will have to deal with it head-on. Remember that it’s a sensitive subject with most children and they may be reluctant to talk about it. Be open with your own experiences and talk about ways on how you can relate to them.

Bullying can turn into a severe problem and should not be ignored. Do your best to make students aware that their actions are not acceptable and can have serious consequences, in regards to bullying. Parental involvement is also important and can go a long way towards ending the behavior. Addressing both the bullying victim and the bully in a timely fashion is the best way to curtail bullying in your school.

Feel free to reach out if I can be of any more assistance in helping bring an end to your bullying at your school! 

I look forward to hearing from you.