Bullying

Its not uncommon for a teen to come home from school introverted and moody. Most Parents just brush it off as another teenage mood.

But what if it isn't?

What if your Teen is being subjected to bullying? I can tell you most Teens won't admit to you its happening, they simply bottle it up and retreat from the world. This is dangerous.

So what to do? Confront the bullier? Confront the school? Remove your child from the school?







Here are some of my thoughts.


Schools

Each case is different and there is no one answer. However there are some clear expectations I believe a school needs to adhere to.  It starts at the top. Schools makes it a clear expectation that bullying will not be tolerated. In any shape or form. The school needs to be known as a zero tolerance stance and be seen to be active in maintaining this stance. Its my opinion that schools need a "3 strikes" policy with known consequences for bullying behavior. I have no problem with consequential learning.

*This will apply to out of school bullying. Controversial? Yes, however we need to get into the real world. Teens aren't dumb. They will know they can "get someone" outside of the school grounds.

Parents
You can't cotton wool your child every minute of the day however it is still unacceptable for your child to be subject to prolonged bullying. 9 times out of 10, your teen will not want you to interfere fearing it will only make the matter worse. However a Parent needs to know how serious the bullying really is. Go to your school and ask. It is not unreasonable to expect your school to do something about the situation.
tell your Teen you support them and get them to come up with strategies to resolve the situation. Please remember, fixing bullying will not be achieved by a quick fix method. You need to pay attention and stay tuned in to your teen.

Teens
Bullies love getting you isolated. It allows them to pack hunt you. So stay in groups, inside and outside of the school. It is no shame to tell your Parents either. Just tell them you don't want them to get involved and as long as you discuss what you are going through your Parents may be able to help in ways you hadn't thought of.

And for one final thought. Cellphones. Has anyone noticed how bullying has multiplied since cellphones have come into schools? Personally, I would like to smash every bullies cellphone in a ceremony at school assemblies.
There. I said it.