How to deal with school bullying

No-one likes a bully, but sadly these days it's becoming an even greater and more destructive issue, and all too often the parents of bullied children have no idea. Apart from making sure your child is clean and well-mannered, what else can you do to keep the bullies at bay?

• Look out for the signs. Children won't always be open with their parents about what's going on at school but if you notice unexplained cuts and bruises, damaged clothing, vague headaches, regular refusals to go to school or tearfulness, it's time to start taking action.
• It's important to listen calmly to your child. If you're panicked and anxious it's likely they'll also become distressed.
• Let your child know telling someone was the right thing to do and the harassment is not their fault.
• Find out the basics - what happened, where, who was involved and if anyone else saw it.
• Talk to your child about what should be done.
• Tell the school immediately and make a time to see the principal, teachers and other staff so the poblem can be worked out together.

CYBER-BULLYING
Bullying isn't just limited to the school gates. Social networking and online chat sites are popular and bullies use them as a forum to pick fights.

• If your child is reluctant to go to school or use the computer, they could be being bullied online. If the bullying is coming from another student at the child's school, alert school officials immediately.
• Report online harassment and physical threats to local police and your internet service provider.
• If it's happening via a mobile phone, report it to the phone service provider and, if needed, get the number changed.
• Most importantly, tell your child never to respond to an online bully.
• An excellent, kid-friendly site that helps kids stay safe online is www.soso.org.au

BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS
Starting to feel those first-day-of-school jitters? Here are a few ways on how to make coping that little bit easier for you and your child - CLICK HERE.

Has your child encountered a bully? Share your tips on how to deal with bullying by leaving a comment below.

I have been bullyed all my life, from primary school to my working life. My dad would always tell me to ignore them, but it wasn't that easy.
Later on in life though, a lot of the people who bullyed me at school have since apologised and I am now friends with them.

Posted by Dannielle from VIC on 22/03/2010 2:11:20 AM

Bullys are very hard to avoid when you have to sit in the same classroom or work with them. But I do think ignoring bullys is the best way to deal with them, having said that, I believe standing up for yourself is a must, bullys are usually cowards who will back off if you do.

Posted by Dannielle from VIC on 22/03/2010 2:15:03 AM

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