Bullying is a practice of harassment and intimidation that many children and adolescents suffer every day, with an increase in cases having been detected in recent years, as well as hundreds of victims who end up committing suicide because they cannot endure so much suffering due to bullying. that other people have committed on them for a long time.
You should know how to talk to your children about bullying, since it should be noted that suicide is currently the leading cause of unnatural death among young people, and bullying is one of the main causes behind it. For this reason, it is necessary to take action on the matter and raise awareness among the general population about such an important issue.
In this article you will find a series of guidelines on how to talk to your children about bullying and you know some signs that may show signs that your child may be suffering from bullying.
Tips on how to talk to your children about bullying
Bullying is a form of harassment and intimidation that many children and adolescents suffer in the school and extracurricular environment, with the harasser or harassers usually being other children or adolescents who attend the same educational center, which is why it is usually the place where the bullying is triggered. abuse
It can also occur in a place where both the victim and their harasser carry out some activity (for example, on a soccer team) and during these times, With the rise of social networks, in many cases harassment is perpetrated through them, being what is known as cyberbullying, so now bullies have the possibility of continuing to harass their victim outside of school and extracurricular hours, so the victim may feel even more harassed. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that educational centers and parents acquire guidelines to detect these cases.
Below we will present a series of tips on how to talk to your children about bullying with the aim of being able to help them and take effective measures as soon as possible.
To start talking to your children about bullying, it is important to find a suitable place where they feel comfortable (for example, the living room of your home, sitting in an armchair); of course, avoiding distractions that divert your child from the topic at hand such as the mobile phone, tablet or television.
Once you are in a comfortable and appropriate place to have a conversation, you can start by asking your child how he is doing at school or about the people he usually interacts with during recess or lunch, always in a calm manner, conveying to your child trust.
2. Open communication
It is important to teach children that They can have open communication with their parents, always respecting a certain amount of privacy, so that they feel greater confidence to talk to their parents about issues that worry them or even torment them, such as being bullied. It is true that even if there is open communication with the parents, it will be difficult for the child to tell them that she is being bullied, but she is still more likely to do so than if he is not used to communicating openly with them.
In order to talk to your children about bullying, there must be open communication between them and their parents, so it can be useful to have a space in the home where children can be actively listened to about their interests and what worries them. The reason for your concern could be a hypothetical case of being bullied.
3. Explain to children what bullying is
Once an environment of trust has been established that allows open communication to be able to talk to your children about bullying, it is important to talk to them about what bullying is, so that they understand that it is a more serious issue than what they think. perhaps they could think and, in this way, Don’t let it become a taboo topic at home and thus feel greater confidence to talk about it with their parents.
4. Explain to children that behaviors such as bullying should not be allowed
When talking to your children about bullying, it is also important to talk to them about the different ways in which it can be carried out, such as ignoring a classmate and encouraging other classmates to do the same. , through insults, hitting, stealing personal belongings, inventing negative things about another child and spreading them, bullying through social networks (cyberbullying) and many other ways.
At this point we must take into account the importance of be familiar with the online experience of children and other people who are the same age because this way you can control that they make correct use of these technologies because they are a medium in which they can consume content that promotes violence and it is also a medium that is frequently used to perpetrate harassment or bullying (cyberbullying). Children should be aware that bullying through social networks is just as serious as violent physical behavior.
This will allow Raise children’s awareness about the seriousness of these behaviors so that they are aware that they should be totally prohibited and that if they suffer from any of them they should seek help immediately, starting by communicating it to their parents so that they can take the appropriate measures (for example, contacting the school in case of that it was the place where bullying usually takes place, filing a complaint, etc.).
5. Practice ways to respond to bullying
When talking to your children about bullying, it is also important to teach them how to act if they are suffering or see that someone around them is being bullied.
If they are the ones who are being bullied, they must learn to deal with these situations in case they one day experience them. To do this, they must know how to identify when a situation of harassment or bullying is occurring and, if they are experiencing any type of harassment, They should tell the bully “stop” or stop in a firm voice and ask for help if that doesn’t work You must also explain to them that they should never give in to provocations because this will not solve the matter.
If you are watching another child being bullied or cyberbullied, instead of being a passive spectator, what you should do is report the bullying to an adult who could intervene Children must be taught that by telling an adult they do not become “snitches” or accusers, since the adults they notify will take action without revealing who the person who told them was and thus they would be helping a person who is suffering.
It should also be explained to them the consequences of not saying anything when they are aware that another child is being bullied in order for them to become aware of the matter and seek help, since this represents an act of courage and compassion for another person who is suffering. Therefore, it is also important to explain to them how to seek help so that they know who they should go to. Of course, you can always start by telling your parents so they can be the ones to seek help.
Likewise, it is important that they learn to help children who are being bullied integrate socially. making them feel welcome in your group as it can help them feel supported and supported by other peers, which can encourage the prevention of future cases of harassment or bullying.
When you want to talk to your children about bullying, when they are very young, a good option to deal with this issue would be to communicate with them through play when; Thus they could express themselves through the behaviors carried out through their dolls.
You may be interested: “Resilience: definition and 10 habits to enhance it”
6. Be an example for your children
In addition to the importance of talking to your children about bullying, it is essential to teach your children how to deal with other people, both children and adults, with education and respect, so that they learn values that promote the inclusion of everyone at a social level and thus help other children who are being mistreated and excluded integrate into the group
For this, it is important to lead by example, so that they see their parents that they must act appropriately at all times and must be tolerant of everyone, without ignoring or excluding people who are having a hard time.
In addition to being an example for them about the correct way to behave, it is also important to help children build their self-confidence. To do this, it is good to encourage them to carry out various extracurricular activities that promote good habits, new learning and the establishment of healthy social relationships with other people of the same age who share similar tastes and interests as theirs.
