Bullying can have long lasting effects on people. What happens during childhood can set the tone for the rest of one’s life, and it is important that bullying is dealt with early on. If you are concerned that your child is the victim of bullying, here are six steps you can take to try and help him or her:

1. Get your child’s input: You need to be a safe place your child can turn for help. Be open to your child, and make sure that you are accepting. You should let your child know that being bullied is not his or her fault.
2. Talk to the school authorities: Discuss the problem with your child’s teacher, principal or counselor. Maybe you need to have a meeting with all three. In many cases, bullying takes place in unsupervised areas, such as school buses, bathrooms, playgrounds and other areas that can be hard to monitor.
3. Teach your child to avoid the bully: Your child does not need to fight back. Encourage him or her to avoid the bully when possible. Suggest that he or she walk away, and go find a teacher or other trusted adult.
4. Encourage your child to be assertive: It is not necessary to fight back to defeat a bully. You can teach your child to stand up straight and tell the bully, firmly, to leave him or her alone.
5. Practice with your child: It might be beneficial to have a little bit of role play with your child. This way he or she can practice what to say to a bully, or how to leave a situation that could turn into bullying.
6. Teach your child to move in groups: A good support system can be an effective deterrent against bullies.

Another important aspect of dealing with bullying is to watch your own child for signs that he or she might be a bully. It can be difficult to see such behavior in your own child, but you need to take bullying seriously, and let your child know that it is inappropriate. If your child is a bully, take the time to find out why he or she may be acting this way. In some cases, a child psychologist or developmental expert can help you figure out the reasons behind the behavior and work to change these behaviors.

If you or someone in your family is a victim of bullying, call us at 1-800-300-0628, 24 hours a day, 7 days each week, including nights and weekends. It's that simple. Your call will be answered by a live clinician who will help direct you to the services you need.