Parents Page

Observe your child for signs they might be being bullied

Children may not always be vocal about being bullied. Signs to look for:

Damaged Clothing
Feeling unwell frequently
Decreased appetite
Nightmares,
Emotionally different – appearing upset
Lack of social interaction

If you discover your child is being bullied, don’t tell them to “let it go” or “suck it up”. Instead, have open-ended conversations where you can learn what is going on so that you can take the appropriate steps to rectify the situation. Most importantly, let your child know you will help him/her and that they should try not to fight back.

Techniques to help

Until something can be done on an administrative level-

Work with your child to handle bullying without being crushed or defeated.
Practice scenarios at home where your child learns how to ignore a bully and/or develop assertive strategies for coping with bullying.
Help your child identify teachers and friends that can help them if they’re worried about being bullied.

Responsible online and mobile communication

Educate your children and yourself about cyberbullying and teach your children not to respond or forward threatening emails.
“Friend” your child on Facebook or Myspace and set up proper filters on your child’s computer.
Make the family computer the only computer for children and have it in a public place in the home where it is visible and can be monitored.
If you decide to give your child a cell phone think carefully before allowing them to have a camera option. Let them know you will be monitoring their text messages.
As a parent, you can insist that phones are stored in a public area, such as the kitchen
Parents should report bullying to the school, and follow up with a letter that is copied to the school superintendent if their initial inquiry receives no response.

Parents should report all threatening messages to the police and should document any text messages, emails or posts on websites.