Many parents are already considering what they need to do to prepare their children for the new school year that is just around the corner. While what they will wear and do after school is essential, ensuring they know what to do about back-to-school bullies should be at the top of every parent’s priority list. Bullies will head back to school as well, and they will be ready to start picking on kids from day one.
“Summer is a great time to get kids ready for the new school year, including with how to win against bullies,” says Kirk Smalley, co-founder of Stand for the Silent. “Addressing it now will ensure the school year will be smooth and bully-free.”
Over the summer, parents can do a lot to raise awareness about bullying in their home and community. Making it a priority may help reduce the incidents of bullying in school and in the community. Proactive communities can make people more aware of the issue, which can help reduce the incidents.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a few risk factors may make people more vulnerable to being bullied. These include a kid being seen as different from their peers, being seen as weak or unable to defend themselves, having low self-esteem, being less popular, not socializing well with others, and suffering from disabilities.
Here are tips for preparing kids now for back-to-school bullies:
• Discuss bullying now. Discuss bullying, including what it is and what to do about it. Talk about the different types of bullying, how to address it, and what to do if they see someone else being bullied.
• Role-play. Act out some bullying scenes with the kids so they can practice responding to them. This will help put them more at ease if the real situation ever comes up.
• Get others involved. Parents can start anti-bullying groups now, which will get more kids involved in helping to keep bullying out of the school. Kids can get together to discuss the issue and ways to respond.
• Contact the school. Most schools have staff working over the summer. Contact the child’s school to inquire about having an anti-bullying campaign kick off when school starts. Help them bring in a speaker, such as Stand for the Silent, and get together a group of kids for the anti-bullying task force.
• Teach self-defense. It’s never a good idea to encourage your child to fight, but there are some self-defense moves that they can learn to protect themselves should it get physical. Bullies tend to pick on those they feel won’t stand up for themselves. Teach kids self-defense over the summer, such as enrolling them in karate. When kids are confident, they are more likely to stand up to a bully, and then the bully loses interest in that person.
Stand for the Silent is launching a program called Student Stand Out this school year. Teachers can nominate students who they feel stand out by being kind, addressing bullying, being a positive role model, having good leadership, having respect and integrity, and demonstrating actions that show initiative to end bullying at the school. Each week through the school year, one nominee will be chosen to receive a $50 Visa gift card, and at the end of each semester, one person will be selected to win a $100 gift card. The nomination period runs from August 1 to December 1 and then from January 1 to April 1. For more info visit standforthesilent.org/schools/standout.