Bullying is such a big problem I never realized until I attended a seminar organized by The Kidz Parade magazine in Singapore. The seminar was addressed by Andrew Matthews (Australian motivational speaker and self-help author) and Julie Matthews (famous author and speaker), who drew the concern of parents towards the gravity of bullying repercussions.
I always considered bullying as a part of growing up. But the amount of trauma it causes to victims particularly to the generation today who is so sensitive by nature cannot be expressed in words. Bullying is when a person is picked on over and over again by an individual or group with more power in terms of physical strength. Some bullies attack their targets physically, which can mean anything from shoving or hitting. Others use psychological control or verbal insults to put themselves in charge. Cyberbullying is the latest addition to a category which can lead to severe consequences. It is done by sending cruel texts, messages, or posting insults about a person on Facebook or other social sites. To open your eyes towards Bullying please go through some facts which I came across in seminar-
1. Bullying can lead to the death of victims. Students who are bullied may also experience depression, thoughts of suicide and, in extreme cases, may react with violence or self-harm
2. Bullying also affects students’ sense of safety, which can impact their grades, their ability to study and, as a result, their future prospects
3. Studies show that people who are abused by their peers are at risk for mental health problems, such as low self-esteem, stress, depression, or anxiety. They may also think about suicide more.
4. Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.
Julie Mathews shared various ways how parents can deal with this problem-
- Always listen to children. Children must be encouraged to talk about school, social events, about other kids in school. Certain time of the day should be fixed when parents can have open chat with kids, like walk or ride to school.
- If a child has complained about some bullying issue at school, always take it seriously. Children are often afraid or ashamed to tell everybody that they have been bullied so always listen to their complaints.
- Tell the school or organization immediately if you think that your children are being bullied. Alerted caregivers can carefully monitor your children’s actions and take steps to ensure your children’s safety
- Cyber workshops can be organized by schools to monitor and guide students for healthy cyber habits.
Children should be taught good social skills they need to make friends. A confident child who has friends is less likely to be bullied. Praise children’s kindness toward others. Let children know that kindness is
valued. It’s all about being a mindful parent and spends quality time with kids.
It was such a learning experience attending a seminar on ‘Bullying’. The Kidz Parade is an edutainment magazine and I love their motto that they stand for Igniting Curiosity, Promoting Creativity and Providing Inspiration to children. I also like their belief that 21st-century education is a collaboration between educators, parents, students and the community. Magazine often organizes workshops, talks and presentations for parents, teachers, students and the community, which are a really good source of getting information regarding parenting. For parents, it also gives various ideas to engage children creatively and intellectually. Best wishes to The Kidz Parade for its future initiatives!
Charu Mehrotra
Promoting Excellence in Women!
Follow Womenlines on Social Media
Pamposh Dhar
I found this post particularly useful. Bullying is a very complex issue – and quite challenging to address. But it’s so important to deal with this issue.
Excellent tips for parents.
Thanks for posting this.