Protecting the Innocence of Our Youth From Bullying

Hi again! It’s Riagain, an intern at Berkshire HorseWorks from Miss Hall’s’ School. As a protective older sister of a 3rd grader, bullying has become an increasingly important topic for me, whether it be g verbal abuse, physical abuse, or cyberbullying. It is important that I am able to make people aware of how we can prevent situations like these, especially in elementary schools where bullying is the most prevalent.

According to survey taken by over 11,000 fourth through eleventh grades from across the country from, english.chosun.com, almost 3.6% of elementary school children have voiced experience at school with violence, compared to 2.2% in middle school, and 1.3% in high school (violence in middle and high schools is often more serious than violence in elementary school). According to togetheragainstbullying.org, the reason that bulling is so prevalent in elementary schools is because the role of the “bully” and the “victim” can often be blurred at that age. The same child can be the victim of bullying one day and display those same bullying behaviors the next day. Here are some coping mechanisms that I believe are effective.

For Children:

Walk away: It’ll show the bully that their behavior is not acceptable
Find an adult to help with the problem
Tell the bully that what they are doing is wrong and that you don’t like it
Find strength in numbers: Ask classmates or friends for support
Use your voice

For Parents::

Meet with the principle, counselor, etc. and keep in contact.
Talk with your child about their day, friends, lunch time (ie. what they did outside and who they played with)
Get your child to join in activities
Stop bullying when you see it. Praise children for standing up to the bullies.

Set a good example yourself. Speak about others in a positive light and try your best to be inclusive.