Bullying is a serious problem. Specially for the children who become victim of bullying in schools, neighborhoods or communities. A few days ago my neice Minahil was bullied by some children in the neighbourhood. Her mother called me for advice. I don’t have any children, I am not even married. But I have an interest in parenting and children.
The incident that happened to Minahil, reminded me of some incidents from my own childhood. I was bullied by some children at school and in our neighborhood. It left a long lasting impression on my personality. A part from stress, as an adult I had difficulty to interact with other people. Fear of being ridiculed, bullied or ignored ruled my life. I realized the problem and got over it. But the impact was so long lasting that it still hurts when I think about it.
Parents should take bullying very seriously. Talking to your child helps but you can do a lot more than that. Teach your children how to protect themselves from bullies. Teach them how to diffuse the situation and help them by action. Looking around I found some very helpful web pages.
- Wikipedia – Bullying
- Bullying Prevention
- Stop Bullying Now US Department of Health and Human Services offers flash movies, games, and information about bullying and how to prevent it.
- Stop Bullying Now! Presenting practical research-based strategies to reduce bullying in schools.
Parents need to learn what they should do to help their children whether they are the victims or the bullies, they need help. It is also important that parents teach their children that they should help their friends and other children if they see someone bullying them or trying to hurt them. It is important that we teach our children about their right to be safe and how to seek and provide help to others.
