Today – Monday 7th October – is National Bullying Awareness Day.
So let’s do just that – draw attention to the issue of bullying.
❓Do you know how to recognise the signs?
❓Do you know, with certainty, what your child is dealing with at the minute.
❓Would you know if they are being bullied – and if they are – do you know how to cope?
The bullying statistics are alarming.
The Guardian recently reported that more than half of children aged 11 to 16 have been bullied about the way they look, with 40% targeted at least once a week, research has found.
More than half (53%) of young people who experienced bullying based on their appearance said they had become anxious as a result and 29% had become depressed. One in 10 said they had had suicidal thoughts and 9% that they had self-harmed.
Many parents are able to understand bullying following their own experiences. They somehow feel better equipped to support their children if they are struggling.
However the goalposts have changed since we were youngsters and thanks to the advancement in technology the bullies can now hide behind their anonymity … enter the new phenomenon Cyber Bullying.
Girls are more prone to cyber bullying 36% of girls have reported being cyber-bullied compared to 26% of boys
83% of those bullied online have also been bullied in person.
41% of kids being cyber bullied have gone on to develop social anxiety.
So how can parents support their children?
The struggles are real. Problems arise when their teenagers are reluctant to admit that they have a problem to begin with.
10 ways to Support your Child who is being bullied :
✔️Recognise the signs
✔️Be Empathetic
✔️Remain Calm
✔️Ask Open Questions
✔️Build Self Esteem
✔️Keep a record of events
✔️Avoid Judgement
✔️Do not Over-react
✔️Offer Guidance
✔️Set Boundaries
Many parents are familiar with bullying in it’s traditional sense – because they have the experience and the knowledge to know how to support their children. However – Cyber- Bullying is a very different beast.
It is the parent’s responsibility to understand technology.
If your child is being bullied online – you need to know what to do.
Would you be prepared if you learned your child was being cyber bullied?
In this simple report you’ll learn:
✔️What to do if your child is experiencing online abuse
✔️how to spot the signs if they are being cyber bullied
My son has not been bullied. We have discussed bullying and he doesn’t like it, and said he would tell me if he was being bullied. Bullys and suicide I try to pay close attention to. I’m against both.