BULLYING (CONT.)
Some of the reasons victims of bullying hesitate to report incidents:
* Fear of retaliation
* Feel ashamed at not being able to stand up for themselves
* Fearing they would not be believed
* Not wanting to worry their parents
* Having no confidence that anything would change
* Feeling that telling someone would make the problem worse
* Thinking it would be worse to be thought of a snitch
For many parents, it’s time to remind children that bullying is not OK and to ask them how they would react if they witnessed bullying or if they became a victim. In one way or another, these anti-bullying efforts and home conversations tend to encourage children to stand up to bullies. And if children are also given thoughtful guidance on different strategies for preventing and stopping bullies, that focus is certainly positive. So while it’s good to focus on how to respond to bullying, the time has come to work year-round to change our norms. Continue to talk to your children, set high ethical expectations for your children, and model those behaviors yourself. Find out what your child’s school is doing to improve social norms. Ask questions and get involved.