One of the most distressing things for a parent to go through is watching his or her child being bullied. Bullying can cause severe harm to the mental health of your child, and if you suspect your child is being bullied, you can take action. There are anti-bullying techniques that you can teach your child to help him or her cope with the bully.
1. Get help
Remind your child that there is always help available. If he feels threatened by someone at school, he can talk to his teacher, principal, parents, and friends. One of the most important things to do when being bullied is seek help from these available sources of support. If he feels that it’s a sign of weakness to seek help, remind him that the ability to seek help is a sign of maturity and strength, not weakness.
For a child, involving adults in disputes is often seen as “tattling”, but when it’s a major problem like bullying, it is necessary to involve older people who can help keep the situation from escalating.
2. Become confident
Improving his self-confidence will help him deal with the bullying. Let your child know that bullies typically have low self-confidence, so they pick on others and bring them down in order to raise their own self-confidence. If he stands up for himself and doesn’t give in and show the fear the bully is looking to elicit, he is less likely to be the target of that bully next time.
While violence is rarely an answer, it may increase a child’s self-confidence to know how to defend himself in a crisis. Martial arts or self-defense classes are a good idea for children of both sexes. Having a supportive group of friends can also go a long way to improving your child’s self-confidence.
3. Respond appropriately
When a bully makes your child his target, you likely won’t be around. This is why it’s important to make sure your child has good coping strategies to use when bullying happens.
Body language can make all the difference. Teach your child to walk as if he has a purpose, by walking tall, as it’s sometimes called. Make sure he holds good eye contact and is not afraid to talk with others. The more confident he appears, the less likely a bully will harm your child.
When a bully does target him, respond in an unexpected way. For example, if another child teases him about his hair color, he could smile and say he knows it is that color, and that he likes it. Joining in with the laughter of others, even when they are making a joke (like taunting him for being short, for example) is another way to take them aback. The last thing he should do is cry or show fear towards the bully, as these are the reactions a bully is trying to elicit.
Being the target of a bully is a challenge for any child, but with the appropriate support and resources from you, your child can overcome the difficult situation of being bullied.
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