Trouble with homework, not knowing what to have for lunch, and deciding what activities to take part in are some typical problems your child is faced with when returning to school in the fall. But there’s one other problem that some students have to face when summer’s over and school begins: facing bullies.
School bullies have been around since long before you and even your parents were in school. Today, bullies may be more of a concern than they were when you were the target because of the violence in schools we’ve been experiencing over the last couple of decades. If your child is being targeted by a bully, there are steps you can take to help your child deal with him or her.
First, you’ll want to alert your child’s teacher or principal about the situation privately. The last thing you want is to find out that the bully could cause even more problems later on. You want to make sure that this student doesn’t have any severe violent tendencies that could end up endangering your child’s school. By speaking about this privately, you’ll ensure that the other students aren’t aware that you “tattled” on the bully.
After speaking with your child’s school, you’ll want to speak to her directly. Let her know that she’s not alone with this problem. There are also steps you can take to help her prevent the bully from bothering her anymore. This is a two-part process that includes preventing a run-in with the bully and what to do if she ends up face-to-face with the bully.
To prevent a run-in with her bully, tell your child to avoid her as often as possible. Take a different route than she does, don’t sit by her in class (your child’s teacher can help with this discreetly), don’t sit near them at lunch, and walk away if you see her coming.
When preventive measures don’t work, and your child has to face her bully, she must learn to stand tall and be brave. She can even ask a friend to help her feel braver around her bully.
Teen violence is a real problem for many of today’s schools. Administrators have the challenge of finding ways to keep teens from committing acts of violence or from becoming a victim of violent situations. In many regards, students may not understand what behavioral characteristics lead to violent behavior, therefore it is the duty of the school’s administrators and faculty to educate and discourage behavior that can lead to violent situations.
Teenagers are faced with real problems in the school system today with drugs, violence and peer pressure from their peer groups. They may be faced with situations that they do not know how to handle. They may also have the unfortunate possibility of not having been educated on how to avoid situations that lead to mass violence. Here are a few tips that can help educated those teens and those that are responsible for them:
For Educators:
1.) Have frequent educational school seminars and meeting on what typifies violent behavior. As things change, so do rules and laws and things to watch for. Educating students helps them to understand what to avoid.
2.) Have solo meetings with students as needed. One way to dispel violence is to cut it off before it begins. Students with mild violence or behavioral problems can usually be helped before the situation gets worse or more situations occur.
For Students:
1.) Avoid situations that place you in harms way. If you’re approached to do things that can cause problems, detach yourself from those persons that can bring you into trouble.
2.) Ask for help. If you’re placed into any awkward situation with your friends, go to a counselor or an adult that may be able to bring closure to the situation or remove you from it altogether. Association is the first component that gets students into trouble and they usually don’t ask for help until it has gotten out of their control.
Violence is not something that the student has to settle for just because they’re in awkward situations or they feel there isn’t anything that they can do. Help and education is available if they need it and they should reach out as soon as possible for assistance, education and understanding.
