Bullying - How Children Can Discourage Bullying
bullying if they:
- Try to stay away from those who seem to not
- Play or take breaks near adults while at
- Walk to school with older brothers and sisters or
- Sit near the bus driver.
Bullying is less likely to occur when children are in
groups and are in areas supervised by adults. But these strategies only work
when schools have firm policies in place against bullying. Staff must be
trained and supported in consistently enforcing these policies.
Children who bully look for an easy target. Bullies are less likely to
pick on those who:
- Can quickly respond to threats in a
self-assured way. Help your child practice what to say if he or she is
- Act confident and do not seem easily scared. Help your
child learn to use strong body language, such as standing up straight, looking
other children in the eye, and speaking firmly.
Bullying is reinforced when it is ignored or quietly
accepted. Encourage children to stand up for each other. Help your child think
of ways to help someone who is being bullied. For example, you might suggest
that a child say, "Why are you picking on him? If you think it makes you look
good, you're wrong." Other simple ways include refusing to watch or participate
in bullying. Sometimes distracting a bully, such as by starting a conversation,
can prevent a confrontation.
Defending another person may
sometimes be too much to ask. Help your child understand that, at the very
least, he or she should tell an adult.