As most parents know, children are often subjected to bullying during their school years. Bullying, of course can vary greatly. Some children may be feel bullied by one innocent comment, where other children are bullied systematically by one or more of their peers over time, with a purposeful intent on causing physical or emotional harm.
The fact is, bullying should not be permitted in any form.
Most schools now have rules and regulations prohibiting bullying. Such rules and regulations, however, do not always address how to prevent bullying in the first place.
Jeanie Cisco-Meth, an educator and former teacher, recently wrote an article for TheBlaze about actions that can be taken to stop bullying. Some of the key steps that she recommends are:
- Parents should inform the school of the bullying as soon as it happens. It is important that the school immediately be aware of the bullying so that they can take appropriate action. She cautions that parents should understand that schools need to go through the appropriate process, and that parents may not necessarily like the punishment that is eventually assessed.
- Parents should keep careful records of the bullying and document the actions taken to notify the school. Records should include dates, times, who was involved, and what happened.
- Understanding the emotional components of bullying. It’s important that parents get involved in the emotional support of their children when bullying occurs. Children need to be reassured that their value is not that upon which bullies would like to instill. It’s important that parents not only take steps to prevent the bullying from reoccurring by informing school officials, but also that parents address the potential emotional harm that can result from bullying.
We Support Efforts to End Bullying
The effects of bullying can be horrific. In some cases, those bullied may seek to take their own lives. In many other cases, childhood bullying can leave emotional scars that can last a lifetime, often decades after the bullying occured.
When schools do not take appropriate action to end bullying, they need to be held accountable for all damages that result. Unfortunately, this is often the only way in which they will take bullying seriously.
Our firm helps those who have been seriously bullied recover from school districts who have turned a blind eye and allowed the bullying to continue.
