RESOURCES AND TIPS FROM THE
Volusia School District on Bullying
P
arents play a key role in preventing and responding
to bullying. If you know or suspect that your child
is involved in bullying, there are several resources
that may help.
Recognize the warning signs that your child
is involved in bullying. They could be being
bullied, bullying others, or witnessing bullying.
Although these signs could signal other issues, you
should talk to your child if they display any sort of
behavioral or emotional changes. Many times kids
won’t ask for help, so it is important to know what to
look for. If your child is at immediate risk of harming
himself or others, get help right away.
Learn what bullying is and what it is not.
Understanding what bullying is the first step
in forming a plan to prevent or respond to
bullying with your child. Many behaviors that look
like bullying may be just as serious, but may require
different response strategies. You can also learn about:
The frequency of bullying;
Who is at risk for being bullied and bullying
others; and
The effects of bullying
Cyberbullying often requires different
strategies than in-person bullying. Learn how
to work with your kids to prevent cyberbullying
and how to respond when it occurs.
Utilize tips and tools to talk to your child about
bullying. Opening lines of communication
before your child is involved in bullying makes
it easier for them to tell you when something happens.
It is also important to work with a school to help
prevent bullying before it starts.
If you know or suspect bullying has occurred,
learn how to find out what has happened
with your child. Understanding what has
happened can also help in communicating with school
or community officials about the situation.
If you have determined bullying has occurred,
learn how you and school or community
officials can work together to support your
child, whether they were bullied, bullied others, or
witnessed bullying. Learn also about considerations for
specific groups.
If bullying is occurring at school, learn about
what your state requires schools to do in your
state’s anti-bullying law. Learn also about
federal laws that require schools to address harassment
based on race, color, national origin, sex, and disabilities
and ways to report situations that have not been
adequately addressed to the U.S. Departments of
Education and Justice.
If you have worked with your child and your
school and need additional assistance, find
resources to help address the situation.
Stopbullying.gov provides information from various
government agencies on what bullying is, what
cyberbullying is, who is at risk and how you can prevent
and respond to bullying. The above information is
credited to Stopbullying.gov.
Source: myvolusiaschools.org
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