Help Your Kids Deal with Bullies

Bullies are among the top fears school age children expressed in a recent study. Here are six strategies for dealing with bullies in school:
1. Listen to your children. Encourage your kids to talk about school and other kids, so that you can hear if they are having any problems.
2. Take your child’s complaints of bullying seriously. A minor complaint may actually uncover a more serious problem.
3. Report bullying behavior to school officials. They can stop the problem at the source. If it’s happening to your child, chances are it’s probably happening to other children.
4. Help your child learn the social skills they need to make friends. A confident child who has friends is less likely to be bullied.
5. Teach your child non violent ways to resolve arguments. Teach your child self-protection skills, staying alert and verbal assertiveness.
6. Teach your child that they can walk away from a bully.
For more information on how to protect your children from bullies, go to www.mcgruff.org.