Best Way to Protect Your Child from Bullying

One of our greatest fears, as parents, is that our child will be bullied. Take all reports of bullying seriously. True bully­ing can destroy your child’s self-confidence, cause fear, and even create panic about going to school. Yet some children seem to be the victims of bullies, time after time, no matter what the sit­uation. These children appear to attract bullying wherever they go. It’s not simply a matter of being small, or of being bookish, or even of being slightly built and underweight. Many children have these characteristics and yet are never constantly picked on. A child who is consistently bullied may behave in a way that actually encourages others to be hostile to him.

Ensure you check out if it is really bullying, or if your child is unable to handle the social interaction at school.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is my child seeking attention in other ways?
• Do I constantly have to reprimand my child at home?
• Is my child willing to take the blame for something that he hasn’t done?
• Does my child seem to deliberately provoke me into pun­ishing him?
• Does my child get bullied by more than one child?

If you answer yes to most of these questions, it is possible that your child makes himself a victim of bullying to meet his psychological needs. Talk to your child about it, and try to find out why he feels this way. A child who is often a victim may also be the recipient of authoritarian discipline and know no other way to behave. Look to your own style of discipline.

If you answer no to most of these questions, then it is high­ly unlikely that your child is in any way responsible for being bullied. Probably you should talk to your child’s teachers and principal, and role-play with your child about how he can bet­ter handle the situation.