Spotting & Navigating Bullying

Making your child understand the concept of bullying.

Is your child suffering from bullying, this article might help to change the situation for them!

Your child is safe and protected under your supervision but the moment they step out or are old enough to go out on their own, as a parent your worries start to build up. Of course, you can't change the world and you definitely can't keep them constantly under the shadow of your presence. What can be done then when you are facing something you so dearly want to protect your child from?

One such thing is being bullied. As a child even you would have suffered in some or the other way the consequences of bullying. You might be scared to go to your parents, or you even had, but maybe a solution didn't come out that we'll. Parents of today are very closely monitoring and that proactiveness starts from this situation of being bullied.

What to do when you realize your child is being bullied?

Before that, let's understand the mind of a bully. They are ignored, feel insecure or feel powerless in some way or the other. To reassure their dominance they resort to bullying. They act superior to someone who can't answer back or overpower them, to feel better about their low self-esteem. Bullying is nothing but an act to be in control and feels powerful while you are powerless and insecure, maybe unloved too.

Let’s get to the ways of combating bullying.

1.Empower your little one with sensitivity

Your blood will boil, you will feel out of control but what happens is that you no longer stay in the position to understand this situation more deeply, especially how your child should feel. Rather than making them bitter, try to make them understand why people bully. Ask your little one to tell that bully that they feel sorry that they are not happy, that is why they bully. Bullies are often used for hatred and fear but when they see this, their heart might melt, but more than that, your child will know that they are not the weaker one here.

2. Compassion is must

When they have said that they feel sorry for them, it doesn't stop there. Sympathy will not change a bully, compassion will. Give them a chance to change, ask your child to patiently talk to that bully rather than being scared and jarred. A bully needs to know that they are understood and loved, not feared. Explain it to your kids that they are just doing so because they feel out of power because nobody comes up to them and lays out their feelings for them, and they need your child's help.

3. Tell them to speak against it

Even after these two acts of courage from your child doesn't change the situation, intervene, talk to the parents of that bully and even the school to address the problem. Yes, you want to teach you, kid, to be a good human, learn also to draw a line. But the first instinct of protecting them should be changed with the idea of teaching them an important lesson of love and compassion in this scenario.

If you know of any more insights and tackling techniques to handle bullying, please share in the comments below.