If your child is being bullied
Posted 05-31-2015 at 12:20 PM by Pinkmani
I posted the following comment in this thread. I received many positive responses. I'm sharing this on my blog in hopes that you as a parent can help your child who is being bullied.
Quote:
NO, DO NOT IGNORE THE BULLY! TAKE ACTION! Ignoring doesn't work because the behavior will continue. Your son's self-esteem and mental health is in jeopardy.
I graduated from high school in 2012 and I'd like to share my personal opinion on bullying in schools: Teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors are incapable of doing anything to protect your child from a bully. I've had students say things out loud and a teacher never even flinched. I've had things thrown at me. I experienced a lot of sexual harassment. When I did the right thing and told my teacher and guidance counselor I was told to stand up for myself and "Boys will be boys".
The result of not handling the bullies: Battled depression and anxiety (2 suicide attempts included) from age 15 to 20 yrs. old.
If anyone here is reading this and is a parent of a bullying victim, I suggest the following:
1. Create a paper trail where you document all conversations with the school staff/faculty.
2. Send an e-mail to the guidance counselor, administrator, and teacher stating something to the effect of, "If my child harms himself/herself, I will hold the family of [insert bully name here] and [insert school name here] liable for any damages (counseling, hospital expenses, funeral, etc.)."
3. Send your child to school with an audio recording device. Many states have a one-party wiretapping law; therefore, you're allowed to record someone without their permission. See information about wiretapping laws
4. File a lawsuit against the bully, the bully's parents, the school district, and the principal
I graduated from high school in 2012 and I'd like to share my personal opinion on bullying in schools: Teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors are incapable of doing anything to protect your child from a bully. I've had students say things out loud and a teacher never even flinched. I've had things thrown at me. I experienced a lot of sexual harassment. When I did the right thing and told my teacher and guidance counselor I was told to stand up for myself and "Boys will be boys".
The result of not handling the bullies: Battled depression and anxiety (2 suicide attempts included) from age 15 to 20 yrs. old.
If anyone here is reading this and is a parent of a bullying victim, I suggest the following:
1. Create a paper trail where you document all conversations with the school staff/faculty.
2. Send an e-mail to the guidance counselor, administrator, and teacher stating something to the effect of, "If my child harms himself/herself, I will hold the family of [insert bully name here] and [insert school name here] liable for any damages (counseling, hospital expenses, funeral, etc.)."
3. Send your child to school with an audio recording device. Many states have a one-party wiretapping law; therefore, you're allowed to record someone without their permission. See information about wiretapping laws
4. File a lawsuit against the bully, the bully's parents, the school district, and the principal
Total Comments 1
Comments
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I agree that many of the techniques used in schools to eradicate bullying, do not work. We have to remember that the bully has probably grown up with a bully in his/her home. The bully family member does not acknowledge his/her part in creating the bullying behavior. The schools are dealing with each child and his/her family and getting pressure from both ends. Creating a paper trail, recording the conferences with school personnel and the bully's family, and if need be making the complaint "formal" by filing a lawsuit and pressing charges/orders of protection can solve the problem with one child, but unless that child and his/her family get some help, the bully will continue to do what he/she was taught at home. Sometimes group therapy works for the bully when he/she is placed in a group with a mixture of the children who experience bullying. The idea is to foster an awareness of what the behavior does to others as well as how the bully feels when he/she is being bullied. The child being bullied needs to be offered counseling to deal with his/her feelings and the embarrassment of being picked on and singled out in such a negative way.
Posted 09-07-2015 at 10:00 PM by Sharon Mac