What to do if your child is a victim of bullying?
Obviously, it is a big concern for every parent when their child suffers for any reason. It is normal that you want to protect your child from everything and everyone, but what happens when your child is bullied? How can you help him/her? This is your chance to know what to do if your child is a victim of bullying , learn everything about this topic and how you can help your child overcome this situation.
What is bullying?
The most appropriate term in Spanish is bullying, which is, in a few words, any type of harassment to which an individual is subjected by his or her classmates, over a prolonged period, based on various characteristics of his or her personality. This harassment can take the form of verbal, physical and psychological attacks and can transcend the classroom.
This type of harassment causes anxiety and fear in the victim, some children and young people may become more withdrawn and shy, below you will see some signs that may indicate that your child is a victim of bullying:
- Difficulty sleeping, problems falling asleep, insomnia, nightmares.
- Not wanting to go to school, fear of going to school.
- Introversion, shyness, isolation.
- Episodes of irritability, anxiety and panic attacks.
- Crying.
- Constant nervousness, fear of being alone.
- Denying the facts when confronted.
- Feeling of guilt.
Depending on how intense the bullying is and the type of attacks you receive, you may show other signs, such as coming home from school dirty, with your things broken, or having bruises or scratches.
What are the causes of bullying?
It is important to emphasize that the origins of bullying are not usually in the victim, but in the bully, who is known as the “ bully ”. Bullies usually show little or no empathy and come from dysfunctional family environments. Although other factors such as school situation can also be determining factors.
A toxic school environment where values such as respect are not encouraged is the ideal place for bullying to occur.
Types of bullying
Yes, there are several types of bullying, all equally serious. Below you can learn about them:
Cyberbullying
Also known as cyberbullying, it is a type of bullying that uses electronic means to spread. Victims may be subjected to mockery, dissemination of false information against them, identity theft, hacking, and may also receive insulting messages, threats or suggestions to take their own lives.
Physical harassment
Victims of physical harassment experience episodes of physical violence, including hitting, hair pulling, scratching, pushing, and even being hit with blunt objects.
Social harassment
It consists of the isolation and public humiliation of the victim. Here, the bully may spread rumors, or try to get others to stay away from the victim.
sexual harassment
This is a type of harassment that involves sexual harassment of the victim, touching, inappropriate words, inappropriate proposals, and attempts to overstep the mark.
So what to do if your child is a victim of bullying?
Finding out that your child is being bullied by some unscrupulous peers can make you feel very bad and even make you react with anger. It is important that as a parent you keep your composure and are able to help your child within your possibilities, the following tips could help you:
- Talk to your child: It may be difficult at first, some children may feel embarrassed and even feel guilty, so they may not want to talk about it. Make them feel calm and confident, do not force them to talk about what is happening.
- Build self-esteem: Once you’ve spoken up and figured out what’s causing the bullying, work on building self-esteem. Make him feel loved and let him know that he’s valuable and important.
- Take action: Don’t just go against your stalker or stalkers, go directly to the authorities. Make sure you have all the necessary evidence and take action to correct the situation.
- Go to therapy: A child who has been a victim of bullying will probably suffer from anxiety and depression crises. Try to take them to a psychologist and have them undergo therapy to overcome the experience.
- Don’t blame him!: The victim is never to blame, support him at all times and let him know that he is not alone.
- Make changes: If necessary, change schools and have your child develop in healthier environments.
It’s normal that at first you don’t know what to do if your child is a victim of bullying, but with these tips you’ll probably know how to deal with the situation. Remember, living through such a negative experience can be traumatic, so love and patience are very important in these cases.
