How would you feel if one day, your child came home from school, bruised, and crying, all because they were singled out by a bully, or worse, a group of bullies. What’s a parent to do?
Know the signs
Bullying isn’t always physical. And while the scenario above can sometimes happen, there are also times when bullying isn’t that evident to parents, probably because the child is scared to tell anyone about the bullying, embarrassed or ashamed of what happened, or both.
Here are some of the signs to know if your child is being bullied:
- A sudden change in behavior that you can’t pinpoint to anything specific.
- Being scared to go to school, or scared to go to certain places.
- Getting frequent scratches, bruises, etc.
- A change in their appetite; if they suddenly over-eat, or they’re not eating at all.
- Decline in their grades, and a lack of interest in schoolwork.
- They’re scared or doesn’t want to talk about school.
What can parents do?
More often than not, children are singled out by bullies because of a lack of confidence. Which is why first and foremost, you should teach your child to be confident.
Teaching your child to be confident is important, not just so they can avoid being bullied, but it’s also a useful quality to have later on in life. When they’re confident, they feel good about themselves, and are more resilient to failure, or rejection that they will inevitably encounter later on in life.
Being confident helps them be comfortable in their own skin, and to not feel insecure about themselves.
Another important quality to teach your child would be for them to have a wide social circle. Having lots of friends within their school, neighborhood, or in a sports team helps a lot when it comes to issues of bullying. Having a wide circle of friends gives them an opportunity to be with people they’re comfortable with, even if they’re bullied someplace else.
For example, if your child is being bullied in school, they know that they always have their neighborhood friends to hang out with, and to provide support. Having a wide circle of friends also teaches them to make better connections with people, a skill which will prove useful later on in life.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
READ: Grade 5 student dies after being punched by bully classmate
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