Written by: Amanda Levison, M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT
Too often kids are bullying or being bullied in school. Standing up to a bully is never easy. Kids who bully may have different issues that make them not enjoy school. They usually want an audience. They want attention that he or she may not be receiving somewhere else. It is important to teach children to lend a hand when bullying occurs. Children need to be encouraged to invite the child being bullied to sit with them at lunch, join an after school activity, or even just have a "play date" or “hang out.”
According to the January 5, 2015 issue of the Scholastic News, there was a Fourth Grader in Colorado who was being bullied. She didn't like how it felt. Then she saw a classmate with a disability being bullied, and she was not going to be a bystander. She wanted to teach her classmates to stand up for kids being bullied. She went so far to have the children in her school sign a pledge and wear bracelets to show that they won't put up with bullying.
If your child comes home from school expressing he or she is a victim of bullying, or has witnessed bullying, take time to listen. If we can teach today's youth to give a few seconds of courage, we can teach them to change a life forever.