When out in the world, bullying can be the first traumatic experience your child may have to go through. Unjustified aggressive behaviors from a bully can make your child feel rejected and unaccepted. However, it not only affects the victim, but it also affects the bully, which gives birth to much bigger problems in the future of these kids.
Apart from the immediate pain of bullying, victims are more likely to develop physical and emotional disorders in the future. However, bullying is not only physical, and it comes in many forms. Apart from physical abuse, it can be in the manners of social abuse, verbal abuse, and cyberbullying. These all may come in different patterns, but they leave a very similar effect on the victim, which leads to a harmful and lasting impact on your child’s health.
Few Lasting Effects of Bullying Are:
— Anxiety.
— Loss of self-confidence.
— Depression.
— Change in eating habits.
— Losing interest in school.
— Self-isolation.
So, when you are a parent, how do you prevent bullying at school and keep your kids out of harm’s way? An effective way to stop it is by communicating with your child from early childhood, especially in school.
However, that is not enough. You may have to take some extra steps to ensure your child has a bright future as an adult. Here are the measures you need to take that’ll ensure your kid’s bright future. Let’s get started:
Seeking Help from a Counselor
When you find your child to be a victim or perpetrator of this behavior, seeking professional help from a counselor becomes very crucial. For victims of bullying, counseling can help teach them ways to cope with a bully, thus breaking the victimization cycle. Simultaneously, a counselor will help them in building their self-confidence.
Additionally, with the help of therapy, the victim can learn to manage complex emotions like anxiety, guilt, shame, and sadness. Despite the age of the child, they will need guidance. A counselor will help them learn the importance of developing assertiveness and proactive communication with the parents and the teachers at school.
Furthermore, a counselor will teach a victim therapeutic ways to enhance self-relaxation, such as mindfulness, expressive arts, and meditation. So when you enlist a victim in therapy, you are providing them with a safe outlet. It’ll help them in dealing with their frustration and Anxiety with a trusted and qualified adult.
Boost Your Kid’s Self Confidence
A child that does not lack self-confidence is more likely to have better self-esteem. However, to give your child the confidence they need to tackle the outside world, parents play an essential role. Make sure you encourage them to make creative choices at school or home.
When your child is making difficult decisions, they get better at problem-solving, which can help them with bullying. Also, children who take part in activities have more self-confidence than those who are not active at school. These activities can be playing sports, learning a musical instrument, or dancing.
As long as your child has friends at school, the chances of getting bullied at school become significantly less. If you find your child has fewer friends at school, encourage them to join a school club or their choice. Also, they can try volunteering in a social activity, take an exciting part in a school play are some of the most compelling ideas. Having friends with similar interests will again help them keep bullies away.
Soon, they will start gaining success in the activities they have chosen. With a new sense of achievement, your child will feel more confident and more able to deal with it. The new skills they have gained will make them feel proud. As a result, they make new friends at school and help other students facing a similar situation.
Get Involved With Your Kids
Try to stay up to date with your child’s school events. Knowing what’s going on in the school will allow you to get involved with your kids when they are in school—volunteer to help in school activities by joining events.
As a result, you get a perfect opportunity to become acquainted with your child’s friends and teachers. Knowing how and with whom they spend their time in school will ensure that your kids aren’t getting bullied at school. And if they are being bullied, you can discuss the problems with the school authority and find a solution to deal with this problem.
Make sure you don’t miss reading school flyers or class newsletters that come to your home. Discuss them with your kids, so they know you are keen to take part in them. Further, it can help you understand the policies related to bullying at school and what to do when your child faces such a situation.
Lead by Example
Children learn from what they see and based on that, they develop a behavior. That’s why it becomes crucial for a parent to treat others with respect. Try using phrases such as “thank you” and “please” and be more kind towards others. Your kids will follow your lead and become a more functional part of society. Also, it will help them in building healthy habits that can assist them in their personal and professional lives.
If you are a parent of a young child, educate them about the importance of being fair and humble, so they play nicely at school. Tell them to respect others’ feelings and choices, and they cannot just take anything they want. If they need anything, they should ask for their permission first. This will help your child not become a bully.
To Sum it Up
Bullying is one of the most prevalent problems affecting the youth today. So, if a child is a victim of this unhealthy behavior, they can develop long and short-term consequences. However, if you give your child the benefit of some extra care, they can easily find their way out of this issue. The steps mentioned above will help your child deal with specific situations. Plus, helping them in building self-confidence.