We should not have to teach kids how to avoid being bullied. Ideally, parents and society should teach children not to bully in the first place. Unfortunately this is not how it goes. We cannot be sure that other parents will teach their kids to be kind and compassionate. So, as parents, we must do what we can to protect our children.
Thanks to technology, cyberbullying is a new form of bullying that uses email, websites, mobile texts, instant messaging, and discussion groups to threaten, intimidate, and terrify victims.
Almost every one of us—myself included—can be guilty of verbal bullying in some form almost every single day. Since no one is perfect—no, not even me—the best that any of us can do is to become aware of what we are doing in an effort to avoid verbal abuse as much as we can.
When adults become involved, bullying tends to be far less frequent. This is really what we want to accomplish as a society. I would love to be able to say that it would completely eradicate all bullying, but that is just not realistic. However, if we do our part, we will make it easier for all of our children.
It strengthened our bonds with one another. It gave us time to share our lives with each other. It was a time for my daughter and wife to let me know about any problems they were having so that I could offer help or suggestions. It also gave me a heads up on how to help them to alleviate their stress. In addition, children who participate in evening meals together with their parents tend to do better in school. They get better grades and they have better social skills. My daughter was successful in school; maybe family meals helped.
This is an issue that most of us might never think of when it comes to bullying. I am talking about how you, the parent, handle situations in your own life. I realize that right about now you must be thinking, “What in heaven’s name is this guy talking about?” This is also an issue that can cause enormous trouble when it comes to your child being considered trustworthy later in life. If you are unwilling or unable to do what you say you will do in exactly the way you say you will do it, then don’t promise you will from the beginning.
The following is a true story that I witnessed. I saw a father teaching, who I assumed to be his son, how to be a bully. I am sure that was not his intent. But as the old saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
There is increasing evidence that an adolescent who abuses animals will develop into a bully.
DON’T engage in name-calling yourself, especially in front of your child. You’ve no doubt heard the playground rhyme, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” No kid believes this. Sometimes words are actions. Do you remember a time in school when someone called you a name that embarrassed you in front of your friends? Maybe it was a racial slur. There are any number of medical conditions that might make someone a target for name-calling because they stand out.
Workplace bullying is on the rise. It could be in the form of physical bullying by a co-worker or sexual harassment by a supervisor or any number of other ways. It has been estimated that 1 in every 3 workers, regardless of age or gender, will be bullied in the workplace in some form.
