Helping Your Child Deal With School Bullies

Bullying isn’t nice and can affect a child’s confidence. While it may be harmless fun, words can do a lot of damage. If your child’s being bullied, you will know what I’m talking about and may start to see a shift in their behaviour. All of the sudden they appear quieter and more reserved, have lost their appetite and are struggling with sleep. If you recognise any of these and believe that something may be going on, take a look at the tips below that were shared with us by a senior school in Herefordshire.

Speak to Your Child

Aside from the signs mentioned above, keep a close eye on your child’s clothes for tears as well as any bruises and cuts that they may come home with. While they may find an excuse or an explanation, if this becomes a regular occurrence, there may be something more going on. It’s important that you speak to them regarding your concerns and provide a safe space for them to come to you with their issues.

Understanding Their Bully

Bullies often target their victims because they themselves are insecure and project them onto others. Whilst it’s not right, this can help your child to understand their bully and make them seem less intimidating. 

Confronting Their Bullies 

Build Their Self Esteem

To follow on from the point above, bullies target vulnerabilities. To combat the effects of their words, build your child’s self-esteem and confidence. If they are happy within themselves and learn to accept their flaws, there’s nothing much that a bully can do. You can do this through words of affirmation, helping your child to recognise their talents, work on themselves, and grow their skillset. 

Confronting Their Bullies 

It’s also to do with power play. They pick on those around them who they know will not stand up to them. By confronting their bully and showing them that they can’t get to them, hopefully they will soon stop.

Report It

If the bullying persists even after they confront their bully, it’s important that your child makes their teacher aware of what’s going on. All children have the right to feel safe and happy at school. There are consequences to bullying and being spoken to by a teacher can make them aware of its seriousness. This can be scary for children, especially when they are so afraid of their bully. Reassure your child that they are doing the right thing and there’s nothing that will happen to them. If they’re not yet ready to talk about it, you may need to have the conversation on their behalf.

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