Time to be Bully-Free
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. If you have a child in school, he’s probably participated in bullying prevention events at school. My child and school buddies wore blue shirts on World Bullying Prevention Day and donned superhero gear as superheroes against bullying. And on Wednesday, Oct. 22, all are encouraged to wear orange for Unity Day and sign a banner to unite against bullying.
All these efforts are backed by conversations about what a bullying is and how to handle bullying situations. I love my 5-year-old is coming home with an awareness about bullies and we are having open discussions about bullying situations. He gets it, even at 5.
Bullying is still a very real thing that happens in schools today. STOMP Out Bullying organization encourages children to do these things to stop bullying in its tracks:
1. Make friends with someone you don’t know. Everybody likes to feel a part of the group, and some people are simply better at breaking the ice and joining in social situations. If you have a child who is socially confident, encourage him to welcome a new friend to join him at lunch or invite a new friend to join them in a game either at recess or in class. And then take a minute to discuss the Golden Rule – how would they feel if they were left out?
2. Stand up for others. Teaching children to speak up for what’s right is simply a good life lesson. Encourage children to stand up for a child that is being mistreated, and if they don’t feel safe speaking up, let them know it’s not tattling to get an adult immediately!
3. Respect. This really follows that Golden Rule mention above. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Respect is a universal thing that children have to learn (and adults sometimes need to be reminded to practice). Talking behind another person’s back … not respectful. Pointing, laughing, making fun of someone else … not respectful.
Here are more tips for parents on how to teach children about bullying, and recognize if your child is being bullied or is being a bully.
Marvel comics is also backing bullying prevention with all-new variant comic issues that spotlight National Bullying Prevention Month. The issues include popular superheroes – Captain America, The Avengers, The Guardians of the Galaxy – and are available at participating comic book stores while supplies last.
Breaking the cycle of bullying can be as simple as teaching some basic social mannerism, but we can’t assume all children will just know them. Peer-to-peer actions, however, do rub off on kids. Here’s hoping with continued discussion on how to not be a bully, bullying will become a thing of the past … we are all the same, we are all people, NO MATTER.
