TEN TIPS FOR PARENTS WHEN YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED
How to get your school to listen:
1. Develop a climate in your home that encourages discussion;
2. Listen, don’t talk too much or judge, when your daughter or son says the kids are calling him/her names;
3. Ask questions to find out answers to who, what, when, and where the bullying occurred;
4. Write the information down into a narrative like you are going to tell a good friend what’s happening to your child;
5. Call the principal of your child’s school and tell the story to her after you’ve practiced telling it to a friend;
6. Ask the principal what you and she can do together to stop the bullying;
7. Ask for a copy of the school’s anti-bullying, harassment and intimidation policy;
8. Write down everything that the principal said and agreed to do;
9. Send a thank you letter to the principal and recap what was said and what she agreed to do;
10. Check with your child to see if things have changed.
The Bully Action Guide offers other step-by-step guides for parents for dealing with the school and talking to your child about bullying. The book also offers steps beyond talking to the principal and what do to when situations escalate beyond the principal and the school and at times require the involvement of the law enforcement.
