Today is Stomp Out Bullying’s Blue Shirt Day. Having dealt with this firsthand when I was a child and then as a parent, I can honestly say that bullying does leave lifelong, invisible scars. Thankfully, we are much more aware about this epidemic than we were a decade ago. Once thought to be an isolated or small problem, we now know that the amount of people effected by bullying is truly astounding! Here are 5 easy ways to combat bullying:
1) Prevention: Every school should hold an annual assembly about bullying, letting students and faculty know it will not be tolerated. Clear policies should be in place for bullying prevention and when the rules are broken, bullies are held accountable for their bad behavior.
2) Report it: Unfortunately, there will always be a few bad apples in every school, no matter how hard we try. Bullying happens everyday and many victims stay silent out of shame or fear. We must teach our children that it’s NEVER their fault and encourage them to report bullying to teachers, principals, coaches, counselors, and parents.
3) Document it: Some schools don’t take bullying seriously. We may have to report it more than once or to different administrators before anything is resolved. It helps if there’s a clear record of what happened, who was involved, where and when it occurred.
4) Stand up for another victim: Even if your children isn’t being targeted, it’s pretty good odds that they know someone who is. Stress that they can help another child from feeling isolated by being a buddy on school grounds, getting together after school, or sitting together on the bus. Parents can also be a support for other adults dealing with this complex issue.
5) Fight back: In some situations, it’s okay to confront a bully directly. Simply by saying “Stop bugging me” or “You’re being mean” can be effective under the right circumstances.
Find additional resources, cool merchandise, and partnership opportunities from Stomp Out Bullying.
