Bullying occurs due to an imbalance in power between a bully and the one being bullied. The vice has so many adverse effects on the bullied, which are both long term and short term.
According to the 2018 School Crime Supplement, close to 20% of students deal with bullying problems.
Similarly, the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System indicates that about 19% of students nationwide between the grades 9 to 12 reported bullying experiences within school premises in 2016.
The effects of bullying can be experienced by both the bullying person and the one being bullied. Bullying has negative effects on the mental status of a student, including high risks of substance use, and finally, thoughts of committing suicide.
Below are seven proven tips to help your child overcome bullying at school:
7 Tips for Children to Fight and Overcome Bullying at School
1. Engage the School in Enforcing Strict Rules against Bullying
Rules that are age-appropriate should be set in school to let students know what’s expected of them. However, the rules should be somehow lenient for younger students.
Start imposing rules when they’re young so that they grow up knowing that there’s an acceptable way people are supposed to live in the society.
Students who bully others should be punished based on their ages, and proper counseling offered to those affected. Counseling helps bullied students and bullies to know the importance of respecting other kids.
They must be taught and told to know that everybody is equal. Bullied students should also report the incidence as early as possible.
2. Engage Your Child in Open Communications
Live with your child in such a way that whenever they’re faced with a certain problem, they can open up to you. Your relationship with your children has a big impact on how they deal with issues, including bullying.
When your child opens up to you about bullying, you’re likely to come up with the best solution. It also reduces their chances of accumulating depressions which may be dangerous to their mental health at the end of it all.
3. Advise Your Child to Watch Out for Warning Signs from Bullies
Bullies usually show many signs before they can get to their victims. Whenever your child observes these signs, they should seek help from teachers, and even report it to you immediately so that you stop the behavior as early as possible.
Also, as a parent, look for warning signs from your children. If they’re being bullied, you’ll notice that they begin to develop some negative attitudes towards life.
4. Provide the Child with a Healthy Diet
There’s a link between dieting and the response of a child to bullying. Provide your children with healthy foods rich in nutrients so that they can grow strong.
Weak students are generally prone to be bullied. The children should consume carbohydrates to give them energy.
They should also consume foods rich in vitamins, proteins, and minerals. Underfed children appear weak, and thus can’t stand up for themselves.
If your kids don’t get enough nutrients from food, give them natural supplements to nourish their bodies with what they lack. Complementing certain foods with specific supplements maximize its benefits for added health outcomes.
For instance, shark tank keto pills and pruvit keto os supplements offer great deals of benefits to the body. Your kids can benefit from the supplements if they’re obese and working on weight loss.
5. Organize as a Society to Reward Positive Behavior in Children
This can be done either at the school level or as a community. Children who are badly behaved are usually punished.
What about those who are well behaved?
Whenever a student conducts themselves well, they should be rewarded so that they grow up knowing that good manners and respect for others is appreciated in society.
When other students observe this, they’ll tend to incline towards being good so that they also get appreciated. This helps to reduce the number of bullies in school; hence, your child’s risk of being bullied is minimized.
6. Engage Your Child in Simulations on How to Deal with Bullying
Teach your children theoretically on how they can respond to bullying and even prevent it. Show them the right steps to follow in case of any bullying incidence.
Teachers should also participate in training on how to deal with bullying so that they respond appropriately.
7. Take Your Child to a Counsellor When Bullied
The many effects of bullying can be so strong that your child may need proper counseling. Professional counselors know how to deal with such situations. Make sure that your kids respond well to counseling so that any long-term effects of bullying are prevented.
Conclusion
Bullying involves a repetitive aggressive and unwanted behavior of harassment towards weaker persons, or a disadvantaged group. It’s mostly witnessed in school.
Kids who are bullied in school have been observed to develop emotional, academic, social, and physical problems. Bullying causes anxiety, depression, and health issues.
Children who bully others also risk being abusers of alcohol and drugs. They also engage in fights, commit crimes, and become abusive to their partners and parents.
