On the Coast – Families Issue 92 | February / March 18 | Page 22

Bullying
by Katharine Duck
As parents we need to teach
M
ost of us have experienced
bullying growing up and for
some it continues in the work
place. We know how it feels, how
it hurts and leaves us with an
uncomfortable feeling. The last
thing we want is for our children
to suffer being bullied.
As parents we need to teach our children
to be resilient and to be strong enough
to walk away. Learn how to let it go and
wash off their backs. Not always easy,
however with practice it’s less likely that
the bullying will escalate.
Practicing scenarios with your kids
and their friends is a great way for them
to experience real practice with different
situations. Helping them to have more
of an understanding to cope with being
bullied. It’s also important to keep the
lines of communication open and let
them know that they can come to you
about anything.
Some tips to help you are, teaching
your child not to show fear, stand tall
and walk away without saying anything
to the bully. Sometimes ‘Acting’ brave
is enough for the bully to leave your
child alone. Avoid the bully as much as
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KIDZ O N T H E C OA S T
possible. If your child walks to and from
school team up with a buddy. In the
play-ground always be with other kids,
even going to the bathroom. Try not to
be alone. Ignore the bully. Do not bully
back, this will make the situation worse.
Teach them to sing a song in their head
or count until they are out of sight of
the bully. This will help your child to be
distracted and not show outward fear or
emotion.
If your child is being physically
harmed, they should stand up for
themselves and tell the bully to stop
in a loud voice. Tell an adult, such as
a teacher and they should handle the
situation, follow up by meeting with
your child’s teacher. Avoid Social Media
if your child has their own account. If
necessary report to the Police. Encourage
self-esteem in your child so that they
know their self-worth which will help
them to be more resilient.
If your child does have a social media
account then monitor their friends,
what’s being posted and the comments
our children to be resilient
and to be strong enough
to walk away.
left. Screen shot comments, delete and
block people. If it’s possible have one of
your friends to ‘friend request’ them as
well. It is so important to educate our
children on ways to deal with bullies so
that it doesn’t affect the rest of their life.
Sometimes our kids don’t come to us
for help and so it’s important to be aware
of some signs that they may be bullied.
Some signs may include unexplained
physical marks such as bruising and
scratches, unexplained loss of personal
property such as clothing & supplies,
suddenly doesn’t want to go to school or
external activities. Becomes withdrawn,
sad, emotional or evasive, has difficulty
sleeping, bed wetting or nightmares.
They may experience a significant drop
in grades or starts bullying siblings or a
change in regular behaviour.
Katharine Duck is a counsellor in Umina Beach on the Central Coast, working with kids aged between 5 and 12 years.
Katharine empowers kids against bullying, build resilience and strategies to reduce anxiety. She runs individual and
group sessions.