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As a parent it is important that you understand what bullying is, that you are aware of the different types of bullying and that you can recognise the impact that bullying can have on your child. This will give you the confidence to talk openly with your child about bullying and remind them what they should do if they have experienced it themselves or see others being bullied.

Think carefully about the advice you give your child and remember their safety is always paramount! Advising them to ‘hit back’ is potentially very dangerous          for two reasons. Firstly, it may lead to your child being accused of being the bully rather than bullied and, secondly, hitting out may lead to your child being more seriously hurt.

If you have concerns or have been told that your child is bullying, you may feel very upset and want to punish your child. Stay calm and try to establish if there is a reason for this type of behaviour – has there been a recent change or disruption in their lives, has their group of friends changed? Talk to your child, remain calm and have an open mind, remind them that bullying is not acceptable. Ask them why they are doing it? Help them to see things from a different perspective. Encourage them to think of how this behaviour may make the other child feel. Most importantly teach your children good behaviour; always remember that your own behaviour has an impact on your child.

It is important to allow your child the space in which they feel comfortable enough to tell you or someone else if they are being bullied, you need to remain calm.

Once they have told you it is important to reassure them that they have done the right thing and that it is not their fault, assure them that you will work with them to resolve the problem.

Ask your child to tell you all about previous incidents, you should record dates, times and what happened if you can. Encourage your child to continue to tell you about further incidents and record these together.  Recording the incidents will help your child to deal with the difficulties and will assist if the bullying continues and you need to involve the school / police. Remember it is easier to stop bullying at an early stage.

Your child’s school may also be able to provide additional support but try to make sure this is not confrontational. No child likes to be humiliated.

For more information and support you can contact Belong at:  info@belongni.org