How to Help Kids Deal with Bullies at School? [Tips for Parents]

If bullying is not an issue right now, you may still want to know how to help kids deal with bullies, and discuss with them the things that they can do to be prepared if it does happen to them.

Most children can be teased by their siblings, by a friend, or family at some point. Usually, it is not harmful when the teasing is only playful, friendly, when it was done mutually, and when children find it funny. But when teasing causes pain, it now crosses the line of bullying, and it must be stopped.

Bullying can leave emotional scars to people, especially to children. In some extreme cases, bullying can be violent threats, damage of property, or someone seriously being injured. When your child experiences this, you want to help them in dealing with bullying.

Here are some tips that you may share with your child:

Avoid the bully

Dealing with bullying does not mean that you'll tell your child to face their bully head-on. Sometimes, they need to avoid them not to further the damage that it can create.

Strength in numbers

Help kids deal with bullies is by telling them to have their friends with them whenever possible. They can walk with their friend or two when they are in areas that they have been confronted. That can be in the time of their recess, lunch, or even in between classes. It is alarming for a bully to single your kid out when their supportive friends surround them.

Hold the anger

It is a natural reaction for someone to get upset and pissed by the bully. But, you need to remind your kids that in dealing with bullying, that is what bullies thrive. They wanted the satisfaction in seeing them angry and upset.

There are ways on how to help kids deal with bullies that you can advise to your kids like counting to 10, writing their angry words down, and taking deep breaths to calm them down.

Act brave, walk away, and ignore them.

There are some cases that the only option in dealing with bullying requires facing the bully. But, tell them not to engage in physical or verbal assaults. Tell them to act brave and stand up for themselves, say to the bully to stop, walk away, and ignore them.

Tell your child that when they ignore bullies, it will show that they don't care. Later on, they will get bored and won't bother you again.

Tell an adult

When the bullying continues, this is the time to tell your kids to tell the adults about it - teachers, principals, any person that can help stop bullying.

How to help kids with bullies is also by exposing them to talk to someone about their experience with bullying. They can always talk to someone that they can trust. The person they speak to may not fix the bullying, but talking to someone can help with the feeling of being alone and upset.

Another thing that you can help your kids in dealing with bullying is by rebuilding their confidence. Know that being bullied can hurt their confidence and self-esteem. Also, being there for them is an important thing to remember in knowing how to help kids deal with bullies. That will assure them that you are there to listen and to protect them no matter what.