Bullying is not something that happens only in movies – it is a real problem that many children have to deal with every single day and it can be extremely dangerous if not stopped immediately. Bullying can affect children’s physical and emotional safety and it can also negatively impact their ability to learn. Parents, school staff, and other adults have a crucial role in preventing bullying and there are a number of things they can do to achieve that and make their children and schools safer. Read on and learn how to take immediate action to stop bullying and where to go for help and advice.

Talk to Your Kids

It is of paramount importance that your kids understand what bullying is. They need to know how to identify it and how they can stop it. You need to advise them about what measures they can take in order to prevent it, if it happens to them or their friends. Talk to them about their friends, and about the activities and hobbies they engage in while at school. Encourage them to openly talk to you and their teachers, since adults can offer them support, comfort and understanding. Talk to your kids about how to stand up to bullies and how important it is to simply walk away from them. Teach them about the strategies of preventing bullying, such as staying in groups of children and adults, as well as engaging in various activities at school where they can meet new friends and become more confident about themselves. Teach your kids that it is important that they show kindness to the bullied children and that they report bullying to their teachers or other adults. Talking about it is an extremely important step in preventing it and you need to assure your kids that they can openly and honestly talk to you about it. They need to know that they are not alone in addressing any kind of problem that may arise.

Prevention at School

The school staff needs to assess bullying prevention around student behavior and they need to know how to take immediate action. They need to know where and how often bullying happens, as well as how often students and adults intervene. Teachers need to come up with effective programs of prevention, such as openly talking to their students in their free time and engaging them in a number of activities at school.

It is also important that they include the parents in their community in order to send a message against bullying. Teachers can launch a bullying prevention campaign to raise awareness of the bad sides and show that bullying is absolutely not acceptable. A school needs to be a safe environment and teachers can achieve that through staff meetings and parents meetings. They need to create an environment of respect, tolerance and acceptance.

What If Your Child Is a Bully?

Many parents of bullies are in denial and think other children are just being mean to their child. They may think that they are making up stories because they are jealous of their kid. They think that there is no problem – that the kids are only teasing and that it is natural for children to fight. It takes a truly courageous parent to admit that their child has a problem. If that happens to be your case, you need to sit down and have a serious conversation with your kid.

You need to let them know that their behavior is intolerable, unacceptable, and that it has to change. Most importantly, you need to let them know that you love them no matter what and that you are always there for them. Let them know that you will help them change their aggressive behavior. It is crucial that they know that bullying, be it physical or emotional, causes pain to others. Explain to them that teasing, hitting, pushing, name-calling, and spreading rumors about other children is absolutely not acceptable behavior. Try talking about your child, about what they think they should do to stop bullying others. Engage them in that kind of conversation so that you make them really think about it and realize what the consequences of their actions are. It is important to let your child’s teacher know that you are doing everything possible to help him or her correct their behavior and just stop.

It is a fact that children look up to their parents and learn from adult actions. That is why it is crucial that they grow up in a healthy and tolerant environment, where they will know right from wrong. You need to treat others with respect and kindness so that your children will do the same. Do not think that they pay no attention; they soak up everything you do and say, how you manage stress and conflicts, as well as how you address any other situation in your life. Help your kids by treating them with love and respect; they will grow up to be just like you.

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