My Son / Daughter is Being Bullied

Listen calmly to your child. Take what they tell you seriously. It takes a great deal of courage for a bullied child to report bullying and to ask for help. Helping them insufficiently may result in them never asking again.

Reassure your child that they are not at fault for being bullied. That they have nothing to be ashamed of. That those doing the bullying are in the wrong, not them.

Reassure your child that you are going to help them. That together you can make the bullying stop.

Make a note of what happened, what was said and done and by whom. Bullying is something that happens consistently so keep a record of any further incidents. This will be helpful to members of staff dealing with the bullying at your school.

Make an appointment to see the school (please refer to our What Procedures to Follow web page).

Whilst speaking to the school, try and discover more from your child. Have they been bullied before? Is it happening often?

Bullying is a traumatic experience and many children who feel unable to assert themselves and stop the bullying can enter into a Victim State that increases their risks of being bullied again. You can also read our Working with Targets of Bullying web page for ideas on increasing your child's confidence and protecting their self esteem.