Samantha got an early call from her 10 years daughter’s school and she was shaken. School authorities informed her that few students have bullied her daughter based on racism and even tried to physically torture her. This is shocking? Isn’t it?
Samantha rushed to the school after this discerning conversation and school authorities quoted, “A group of her classmates has been tantalizing her on color past few weeks and today they even tried to poke her with pens. She got a few scabs today. We are extremely abashed with the incident and completely devastated.”
It is very painful that such things co-exist in today’s educated society. Child bullying is a social issue and racism is the prime factor for it at most of the places. Such issues impact the psychological health of your children and can also get them to emotional trauma. If your child is in utter distress, there are probabilities that he/she might be going through a sheer anxiety phase due to disheartening comments of race, culture, or sex.
What is child bullying?
Bullying is a behavior that pertains to the intention to hurt someone by words and actions deep scratching their hearts. Racism is the primary bullying cause throughout the world followed by other reasons such as culture, gender, or economic position. If your child is going through any such phase, identify and rectify the problem then and there. Although it is vulnerable that small little kids fall prey to such incidents but parents must know to deal with it.
Although child bullying is heartbreaking in all forms, what if it starts right from your home?
Factors related to bullying at home:
As per a study, around 85% of the children grow up with either their brothers or sisters. However, sometimes the quality of these important relationships gets affected when any kind of complexes or behavioral distances occur between them. The worst part is these problems can last lifelong. There are a few factors that lead to child bullying right at home.
- Birth Order – It is found that the younger children are mostly bullied by the elder ones and especially if the first one is a male child.
- Size of the family – Sibling bullying also depends on how big the family is? If there are too many members like the next cousins or the relatives, even then your child may fall victim to bullying by them over racial or attributes discrimination.
- Parenting- If there is a lack of parental warmth and understanding to the child and the comparison between the siblings is at the peak, even that can lead to inappropriate behavior of the child.
Apart from all these, there can be many other reasons right at your home that can support bullying by the siblings. Anti-social behavior and poor social cognition can be a few things that can make your child a bully victim. It is therefore important for parents to ensure that the child is safe at home and gets complete love, respect, and recognition.
Parents must deal with child bullying scenarios or it might impact your little one’s entire life. Do not let them fall, victims, as perpetrators treat them as soft targets and try to control them.
Also Read : How to Deal with Teenage bullying?
Can child bullying be just for fun?
No. Bullying impacts the inner confidence of your child and affects them emotionally. Any sort of bullying can never be taken for granted. Schools, playgrounds, dance, or other activity classes or even homes can be bullying spots. You need to stay cautious and ensure that your kid stays protected mentally as well as physically.
Irrespective of whether the child is rich or poor or the place they belong to, then have the right to study’ play and live with full dignity. And this value should be very firmly inculcated by the parents. Educate them about all sorts of mental or physical abuse and also the techniques to deal with it. Bullying in any form must never be excused.
Tips to protect your child from Bullying
- Impart them bullying education – The children must know the bullying. Only then they can try to rectify it.
- Communicate regularly with your child – You must be in constant touch with your child. You must know their routines and also what they are going through. Keep a note of their activities online as well as offline.
- Inculcate positive thoughts – Some perpetrators attack those who are emotionally weak. Keep your child full of positive thoughts so that you always feel good about themselves. It would also allow them to eliminate all kinds of despair or fears running down their minds.
- Help to build their self-confidence – Keep encouraging your child to share common interests with their friends and classmates.
- Keep your chin high – A child will always look up to you for their behavioral patterns. You must be a role model for them. Stand with dignity in front of everyone and be an example to them.
- Share common experiences – Child bullying is more of a psychological hammering and you can explain to them the incidents you have been through to overcome the despair.
Signs that your child is going through bullying
Observing your kid closely would ensure that they are in a good emotional state. There are a few kids who not able to verbally communicate with parents. Here are a few signs you must ponder at:
- Unknown marks, scratches, or bruises on their bodies.
- Fear of going to school and not participating in school activities.
- Be in constant anxiety, nervousness, and depression.
- A very limited social circle around you.
- Clothing and other personal belongings are consistently broken, lost, or destroyed.
- Poor academic performance.
- Improper sleep and eating patterns.
- Getting impulsive over small things.
Also Read : How Peer Pressure Affects Teenager?
How to react after knowing that child is being bullied?
If you are sure of child bullying, it is important to take some measures to control the devastation. Here are a few steps that you need to take:
- Be a good listener – It is important to listen to the heart of your child. Try finding the core cause of their distress and the reason for child bullying. If they are bullied based on racism, develop confidence in them to be happy the way they are their inner beauty is impeccable.
- Talk to their school teachers – If you feel that your kid is falling prey to bullying in school, have a conversation with their school teachers. Give them clear instructions about your concern and ask the teacher to notice the child’s behavior.
- Stand as a support system – Every child looks up to their parents as a strong support system and expects complete understanding from their end. Your kid should be confident enough to discuss anything and anytime with you.
Taking a call of action is very important at the right time and in the right manner. If you are not reacting the right way, there are chances that you face extreme despair and severe emotional trauma. Child bullying is a much-suppressed subject as few people do not feel the need to state it openly. People believe in compressing such sensitive issues but at what stake? It might result in the development of an introvert child who could not express the real side of them ever!
It is important to understand that breaking the obvious norms and developing a freer and expressive environment is highly crucial for the coming generations. Of all the issues responsible for Child Bullying, Racism has always been a topmost factor. Children are unable to understand the results of their shrewd behavior to others. Judging someone based on their color or caste is the most shameful thing for mankind. Every individual has the right to live with dignity, love, and happiness.
How to handle if your child is bullying others?
If at all you are observing some changes in the behavior of your child or you find that they are bullying others, it is important to stop them then and there. This would ruin their lives as well as those who are misbehaved with. Any signs of bully attitude from teaches, parents of other kids, or even siblings should never be overlooked.
Keep a check if your kid is getting arrogant in a negative manner. An attitude of sharing nothing with and outside the family can also be an alarming situation.
Tips to control child’s bully attitude
Talk to your child- It is highly essential to talk about the feelings of your child. You must tell them about the right code of conduct and even behave rationally at the house. Do not blame them without listening to their talks.
Keeping a complete watch online as well as offline activities of your child can also prevent their bully attitude.
Another vital aspect of handling the child’s bully behavior is to consult their friends and teachers about their behavioral patterns at the house. You can also search for the factors that might be lowering their self-esteem. It is a very big reason why children bully other kids just to keep themselves up. If your child is getting arrogant or disruptive, it is also a good choice to take them for some counseling sessions. It can probably calm down their minds and they start developing empathy for others.
Conclusion
Taking up a cause of child bullying was intended to make people understand that a mere fun for some can be lifetime distress on others. Also if your child is bullying others, even that can lead to very impulsive and shrewd behavior after being an adult. Child bullying is a rising social issue that needs immediate attention as it can affect the future of many little geniuses!