Bullying, Kids & KidsHelpPhone

I remember a boy, in elementary school - a grade above me, who was bullied. Really badly bullied. Like jacket ripped bullied. Like moved to tears bullied. Like isolated from the whole school bullied. He must have gone through hell.

Parent Club recently had the opportunity to interview Shawna Ginsberg, a counselor, at Kids Help Phone to discuss bullying & kids. No one ever wants to see their kids being bullied...but if it happens perhaps this information can help.

Parent Club: What is a parent to do when they see their child bullied at school?

Shawna Ginsberg:

Empathize with your child, but don't encourage them to be a victim. Instead, build on their strengths by asking them what they have already tried, and making other suggestions.

Are other adults that they trust aware of the problem? Teachers? Guidance counsellor? Coach? Have they helped to end the harassment?

Support them to be involved in their choices and making decisions about how they handle the problem. This empowers them and thus builds confidence and resiliency.

Encourage different peer interactions with different groups of people. This is a great way to make friends, instead of sticking with one person or one peer group.

Things to remember...

you are not alone - many young people struggle with these issues (check out the posts under bullying at http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/Teens/AskUsOnline.aspx )

do what is right (carrying a weapon, or throwing a punch might get you into trouble.)

keep your cool whenever possible

share your feelings with people you trust

it's not your fault - no one deserves to be abused.

it is okay to ask for help.

I don't know what happened to that boy in elementary school. As a grown up, looking back, I feel so badly for him. He must have felt so powerless. So alone. No child should have to feel that way about going to school.

KidsHelpPhone.ca is a FREE Canadian service for counselling for kids & teens with options to speak live with a counsellor, ask a question on line or read their articles. Open 24/7 and bilingual it is a great resource for kids (and Parents - you can "get-in-the-know" on their site too).

This post is NOT sponsored - we really feel that Kids Help Phone is an important service to share with the Parent Club.