How to Handle Your Child's Bullying When It Comes to Back-to-School Anxiety
Bullying frequently causes severe psychological damage. Your child most likely fears going back to school if they have experienced physical or verbal abuse at the hands of their peers. As a parent, you might be concerned about returning your kid to a place where he feels in danger.
Bullying is a severe issue, but its effects can be mitigated. Reducing back-to-school anxiety and keeping your child safe can be achieved by working closely with his school, learning how to assert himself, and being a supportive parent. Using the following techniques both before and during the school year will increase your child's resilience:
Find out what symptoms of anxiety are typical when returning to school.
Kids don't always speak up about being bullied in the past. Your youngster may be embarrassed to acknowledge that he has been the target of bullying; he may also be afraid of reprisals if his tormentors discover that he has "told" on them. However, you'll undoubtedly see obvious behavioral changes in your child if he is suffering anxiety related to returning to school. Before September arrives, your youngster can appear grumpy, preoccupied, or reclusive. He won't likely show much, if any, enthusiasm about returning to school; he might even say out loud that he doesn't want to go back at all. Anxiety can also manifest as changes in sleeping, eating, and leisure activities.
Encourage your child to communicate.
It is important for parents to use caution when discussing peer harassment with their children. Instead of asking directly about bullying, parents should try to gently bring up the subject or let their child give the information. It will be far less scary for your child to answer open-ended questions like "How do you feel about returning to school?" than to be put on the spot.
Spend quality "one on one" time with your youngster doing activities he enjoys to encourage him to talk to you. He will feel more at ease and more trusting of you as a result, which will make it simpler for him to confide in you. Periodically let your child know that you are available to him at all times if he needs someone to talk to.
If your child still refuses to talk, you might want to get him in touch with a school counselor or therapist. Speaking with someone who isn't directly engaged in the matter may make it simpler for your youngster to communicate.
Assure your youngster that his experiences are not unique to him.
Bullying is usually portrayed in the media as something that only befalls a fortunate minority of kids. Additionally, victims are usually portrayed as being in some way less acceptable in society than their peers. Bullied children may believe that there is something fundamentally wrong with them as a result of this perception of bullying.
Your child should be aware that this is untrue: Bullying impacts more than half of all kids—not just a small percentage. 47% of Canadian parents say that their child has experienced bullying at least once in the past, according to the CBC. Acknowledging the prevalence of bullying might aid your child in overcoming the negative connotation attached to being a victim. Additionally, he might be more inclined to connect with classmates who have experienced bullying, creating a network of support among his peers.
Encourage your child to practice using confidence.
Your child will be better able to confront bullies if they learn how to be assertive without being violent. Since assertive children feel more in control of their lives, healthy assertiveness has also been linked to a decrease in anxiety.
As your child prepares to return to school, assist him in creating a self-assured posture. Show him how to make good eye contact when speaking and how to stand and walk with his shoulders back and head up. By implementing these small yet effective body language adjustments, bullies will perceive your youngster as less of a "easy target." (Children that seem nervous are frequently the targets of bullying.)
You can assist your youngster in practicing establishing verbal limits as well if he is open to acting out various scenarios with you. Consider engaging in role-playing activities where you assume the role of the aggressor and your child practices employing various communication strategies to diffuse the situation. If you think it would be easier for him, your youngster can also practice role playing with a helpful peer.
In addition to teaching your child a list of terms he can use in challenging situations, anti-bullying exercises should teach him how to say "no" in a calm and forceful manner. These should be direct but not aggressive, such as "Please stop doing that" or "Whatever, I'm leaving now." Additionally, you can support your youngster in practicing asking an adult for help. It's crucial to take this action since not all bullies will back down if your child confronts them.
Set an example of self-assured behavior.
Even though it's common to worry about bullying, it's critical to process and get past your worries. Your youngster will become more nervous about going back to school the more nervous you appear to be. Show that you care about your child's situation by demonstrating empathy instead of dwelling on your own concerns: Don't discount your child's experiences; instead, listen to him and reassure him with confidence that you'll assist him in handling the matter. Giving off an air of empathetic strength will comfort him that overcoming the current obstacles is feasible.
Additionally, parents need to be careful not to let conversations about school to turn too negative. After talking about bullying, spend some time discussing the advantages of going back to school. You may bring up topics your child is interested in, friends he will see again, or the chance to engage in his favorite extracurricular activities. With these encouraging rewards, your child won't let bullying to dictate how he feels about school.
Collaborate closely with the school to stop and manage bullying of your child.
In order to prevent animosity and friction amongst all parties concerned, parents should never address bullies directly or their families. Rather, take proactive measures to stop bullying before the school year starts by collaborating with the administration and your child's new teacher. First, confirm that the school where your child attends has a zero tolerance policy against bullying, which penalizes offenders with either immediate detention or suspension. Next, schedule a meeting with your child's instructor. Talk about your child's prior experiences and come up with a strategy that will enable the teacher to spot bullying incidents and take appropriate action. Ideally, the principal of your child should also be informed of this strategy. Your youngster will undoubtedly feel more at ease about going back to school once he realizes that all of the adults there are rooting for him.
