Bullying can take on many different forms, including physical (pushing, punching, or hitting), verbal (threats), psychological, and emotional (spreading rumors or excluding someone from a conversation or activity).

Additionally, due to the widespread use of technology, bullying can take place outside of school hours via emails, texts, direct messages, and even social media posts. These interactions, known as cyberbullying, can be very aggressive and nasty, and they frequently have negative repercussions that are carried to school the following day.

Knowing how to spot bullying in your child is the first step in dealing with the problem.

How to stop bullying 

It’s important that you teach your child that bullying never occurs because of anything they did. Bullying is almost always more about the person who is doing the acting than the subject of the conduct.

Although a child cannot stop their own bullying, having a plan in place for how to deal with it and perhaps prevent it from getting worse can be beneficial. Here are some ideas courtesy of parents for creating a toolbox for kids that they can use when they are faced with challenging circumstances and find it difficult to think clearly.

1. Report bullying 

Go alongside your child to speak to a teacher, guidance counselor, principle, or other school official if they are hesitant to report the bullying. Learn about the school’s anti-bullying policy, preserve records of incidences of bullying, and keep track of the situation by checking in with the institution to see what steps are being taken.

2.Involve the offenders parents 

Involving the parents is the best course of action only in cases of repeated intimidation and when you believe the parents will be open to cooperating with you. Make it plain in a non-confrontational call or email to them that your intention is to work out a solution with them.

3. Teach them coping skills 

Remind your child that they are not to blame, they are not alone, and you are here to support them if they are a victim of bullying. For kids to be able to communicate what’s going on, it’s crucial that they can recognize their feelings and understand that you want to hear about them. Be a role model by practicing. Talk about your feelings and provide them some tips on how to recognize them in commonplace circumstances.

Parents shouldn’t think that this is just typical peer behavior that will resolve itself, regardless of the age of the child. According to Kaplan, it should never be tolerated when a youngster is being picked on or teased. Building your child’s self-confidence and averting an aggravating scenario are both achieved by helping them deal with a bully.

Also see: How to help kids and their parents deal with mental health