What to Do if My Child Is Being Bullied?

School bullying is the systematic psychological and physical abuse of one or more pupils by a group. There are several signs that distinguish bullying from other types of violence:

There is psychological and/or physical harm,
Violence takes place on a regular basis,
Harm is caused intentionally and with awareness, and
This is an uneven confrontation.

If a child has become withdrawn, avoids contact with family and friends, no longer enjoys his or her former hobbies, gets sick frequently and totally refuses to talk about school, he or she may have become a victim of bullying.

Even the thought of it can be frightening and upsetting, but you cannot turn your back on the problem - it must be solved. The sooner adults get involved, the better the chances of a happy outcome.

What Can You Do?

First, calm down and analyze the situation. Is what has happened really bullying? Look for all four signs. Could it be a personal conflict with just one other child? Or is it a conflict with a teacher? In the latter case, intervention is also needed, but the School Mediation Service will be more useful here.
The most important step is to absolutely support your child. Explain that he or she is not to blame for what has happened and in no way deserves to be treated badly. Your child needs to feel that you are totally on their side.
Gather evidence of bullying. This could be a detailed description of the aggressors' actions from the child or witnesses, the circumstances, time and place of the incident, as well as personal messages, certificates from the clinic, and receipts for lost or damaged items.
Remember that any parents’ main goal is to protect their children and create a safe environment for them. Punishing the abusers should not become your priority.
Work out a plan together with your child. Discuss together what exactly your child can do to protect him or herself in case of bullying and to whom exactly they may turn for help if need be.
If bullying escalates to physical violence, allow the child to stay away from school until all necessary measures are taken to ensure his or her safety.
Contact the Class Teacher and state the facts. Find out how the school authorities intend to deal with the problem. Offer to help and agree upon a clear timeframe for the problem to be settled.
If the situation has not been resolved within the agreed time frame, contact the School Principal. If nothing happens, contact higher authorities or the police.
If the bullying continues and the school takes no action to address the problem, consider transferring the child to another school.

Most schools want to create a comfortable and safe environment for all children. But teachers and administrators don't always know how to really deal with bullying. The Travli NET (NO to Bulling) team has developed a comprehensive anti-bullying program. These are not just formal lessons, but working tools and rules written by experts and psychologists. Read more about the program on the Nest Educational Platform.