HOW LEARNERS CAN DEAL WITH BULLYING

THE first segment of my three-part series about bullying at school talked about interventions the school can adopt to protect learners from bullying. The second segment was things parents can do to stop bullying, which included teaching their children to be kinder to others.

Today I want to close it off by talking about what learners can do to protect themselves from bullies at school. I was talking to a karate instructor the other day and he said that taking self-defence classes is one way that has helped many kids deal with bullying  both at school and outside of school.

Self-defence

Taking self-defence classes helps guide children towards greater levels of self-awareness, self-confidence, empowerment, discipline and focus, as well as practical self-defence skills and techniques. They get to have fun while making new friends that have similar interests as them, they learn how to become assertive, not aggressive, as well as increase fitness and health.
The first thing I tell my six-year-old son about dealing with bullies is to tell an adult. If at school, that adult can be teachers or the principal, and lunchroom personnel. At home, the adult would be the parents, or any other older person that is present at the time.

Another way to avoid bullying is to avoid the bully and not play with that bully during break time or lunch time. Always being with a friend and never alone with a bully helps too, and offering the same for a friend - keep them company if they are scared to be alone. Dealing with bullying can hurt a child’s confidence. To help rebuild it, encourage your kids to spend time with friends who have a positive influence. Participation in clubs, sports, or other enjoyable activities builds strength and friendships.That way, the child will not be lurking in the corridors with so much free time, therefore allowing bullies to have access to them. I love that immediately after school, most kids rush to the pick-up area to wait for transportation back home, therefore chances of playing around with bullies are decreased.

Encourage

As children move into their adolescent or older teenage years, very confident children may want to do more. Encourage them to reach out to their friends and to reach out to other children at school. Encourage your kids to be nice to others and offer them assistance if they need it or when they need protection. As a parent, you often know where your child stands and you can use this to turn them into positive role models for others. Some children exhibit bullying traits at home, so it is easy to know how they affect others at school, and it is your duty as a parent to correct this behaviour and not make excuses for your children that are bullies.

Another way to deal with bullying at school is to act brave, walk away, and ignore the bully. Firmly and clearly tell the bully to stop, and then walk away. You also need to practice ways to ignore the hurtful remarks, like acting uninterested or reading your books and doing your homework if it is a free period. By ignoring the bully, you’re showing that you don’t care, and they will stop pushing you because whatever they do does not affect you. Most importantly, when your child returns from school, talk to them about their day, both the positives and the negatives. Foster a positive environment so they are free to talk about anything. That way, you will know how else to support them and what skills they need to hone in order to make their school life a positive experience.

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