Connecting With Your Children is Essential!
Why is support needed for families whose children have been the victim of bullying and harassing behavior? “The clinical repercussions that bullying and cyberbullying have on today’s youth present the most troubling issue at hand” (Donegan, pg 36, 2012). Unfortunately, bullying is a wide-scope issue that leaves many parents and caregivers looking for ways to support their vulnerable child. Fundamentally, most of us understand what bullying is but not as much information is available about how to respond when it happens to your child. That’s what makes this blog and other advocacy efforts invaluable to families in distress! I’m here to explore the answers to that question with you!
Parents have many shared values. We value family and our children, honesty, fairness, and inclusion. Repeated mean and harassing behavior threatens those values. Working together as a community of committed parents, we can support and instill those sacred values into our children.
Children need to feel safe and supported in their learning environment in order to succeed. Bullying behaviors distract from lessons and leave children with feelings of embarrassment and rejection. Parents can play a pivotal role in giving their children the tools and support when they are feeling vulnerable.
That’s why it’s critical you join fellow parents in actively supporting your children. “Talking with kids about being bullied helps them understand what it is, why it is harmful, and how to respond” (StopBullying.gov, What You Can Do, 2021). Commit to investing time in daily, uninterrupted conversation with your child. Brainstorm ways to elicit their feelings and responses to what they are encountering at school. “Because of changing dynamics of a child’s peer relations, parents should plan to have ongoing conversations with their children about bullying” (StopBullying.gov, What You Can Do, 2021). This support will provide your child with an emotion-rich environment, strengthen their emotional intelligence, assist them in better navigating peer groups, and are “more likely to stand up for people who are targeted by others” (Divecha, Teach Emotional and Interpersonal skills, 2019). What may seem like such a small action will make a huge difference in your child’s mental health and their responses to future peer interactions. I’d love to hear what insight your children share with you! How has their demeanor or attitudes improved after implementing your daily check-ins? How do you feel? Being intentional about connecting with your child can also improve your mindset as well!
Donegan, R. (2012). Bullying and Cyberbullying: History, Statistics, Law, Prevention and Analysis. The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 3(1), 33–42. https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/communications/journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/153/2017/06/04DoneganEJSpring12.pdf
Divecha, D. (2019, November 6). What Can Parents Do About Bullying? Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved March 26, 2022, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_parents_do_about_bullying
StopBullying.gov. (2019, December 5). Support the Kids Involved. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/support-kids-involved
TODAY. (2017, September 29). Kids And Parents Talk About How Bullying Hurts | TODAY [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5KLzNmWtrw
Parents have such a huge influence, especially in their child's younger years. My kids are all grown up now and my efforts of checking in daily have paid huge dividends. Bullying feels different now than ever before and I think it should be a part of the ongoing conversation.
ReplyDeleteThank you Natalie! It's really refreshing to hear from someone with grown children about how daily check-ins paid off in the long run! For parents like me with young kids it's encouraging to know that all this hard work pays off! And to respond to your second statement about how bullying feels different, you're absolutely correct. The more research I've done on this topic it's clear to see that advancements in technology have emboldened bullies because they can remain anonymous on social media. Please share my blog with anyone you know who might benefit from a community of like-minded parents.
DeleteInteractions between parents and children are critical to solving the issue of bullying. I love you idea of using teamwork between parents and children, as well as encouraging parents to join fellow parents to actively support their children. I do believe there is strength in numbers!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you Megan. The more I dive deeper into the topic of bullying the more critical it is for me to connect with others. A community of people with similar values and energy can drastically improve the learning experience for our kids. I hope you'll share the blog with others!
DeleteIt's so important for us to talk with our children about bullying. I have had discussions with my children about it in the past, but now I'm going to make a change to ensure it is included in my daily discussions.
ReplyDeleteI had a bullying discussion with my daughter. I told her how important it is to not be a bystander when she sees others being bullied as well. During her recent Girl Scout meeting her friends told a story where they were being picked on and she stood up to the boy and told him to stop. I was so proud.
ReplyDeleteYou should be proud! That's amazing that she had the confidence and compassion to stand up for what's right. Good job mama! I think your daughter's actions will also inspire more kids to do the same if they witness bullying or mean behavior.
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