One of the things that parents are often confronted with is the issue of bullying being suffered by their children and the likely negative impact it could have on their psyche.
This news story offers practical tips for dealing with bullying:
- Don’t ignore the child who says he is being bullied; rather talk about it. It needs courage to come forward and speak out; the effort should be validated.
- The child’s self esteem should be bolstered by pointing out his positive qualities.
- Encourage the child to be assertive and not give into the bully but not be vindictive.
- While a stand must be taken to stand up for themselves, physical confrontation is to be avoided.
- Parents can seek help from media resources as well as people at school.
- Parents should encourage the child to form strong friendships; this makes the child less likely to be singled out for bullying.
