Grace Mavindidze

Bullying is something kids face far too often, whether they’re the ones being bullied, the ones doing the bullying, or even just watching it happen. As parents, you have a chance to guide your kids so they can make a positive difference in their schools and communities. If you teach them how to step up with some bullying prevention acts and help others, you will boost their confidence and teach them important lessons like kindness and courage. Kids see bullying all around them, but many kids hesitate to step in or speak up for many reasons. But with your help, they can learn some simple and safe ways to act in such cases. The lessons they learn now will stay with them for life. How Bullying Affects Everyone Bullying doesn’t just hurt the person being targeted, but most of the time it affects everyone around, too. Kids who witness bullying also become anxious, feel helpless, or carry around guilt for not stepping in. Over time, it starts to hurt their self-esteem and sense of safety. Kids need to be taught that stopping bullying is everyone’s responsibility, so they see that they also play a big part in making their school and community better. A kid’s first reaction will probably be fear of getting hurt, pressure from their friends, or being unsure of what to do. Others will think that someone else should step in. As parents, you can help just by talking to your child about this and finding ways to make it easier for them to act. Sometimes kids do want to help, but don’t know how to, even though they really are concerned about someone being bullied. If you notice your child asking what’s right or wrong, it’s a good opportunity to talk to them about safe [...]