Being a child is not supposed to be hard. Life as a child is supposed to be a time of learning experiences and just having fun. The last thing you expect as a parent is for your child to die. Just last week, a 5th grader in South Carolina, died after being in a fight with a student that was bullying her. In Kentucky, a 10 year old boy, who was already dealing with a medical condition which required a colostomy bag, committed suicide after constant bullying from classmates in January.
In both of these cases, the schools had been notified about the bullying but apparently nothing was done to address it. Whether it is done in person or online, bullying can have long-lasting effects on the victims. But what is bullying? Bullying is being mean to another kid over and over again.
Bullying often includes:
-Teasing
-Talking about hurting someone
-Spreading rumors
-Leaving kids out on purpose
-Attacking someone by hitting them or yelling at them
Bullying prevention begins in the home. Children must be taught what bullying is and that it is not appropriate to bully others. Schools must have policies in place to address bullying. Parents must speak to their kids and explain to them that they can tell an adult if they are being bullied. The communication lines must be kept open for kids and adults so they can feel safe talking to them. Parents: if your child is bullied at school, go there and ensure that the incident is documented and addressed. Don’t let anyone at the school just give you “lip service” about the issue. For the sake of your kids and other kids at school, please don’t let bullying continue.
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