Q: How to handle being bullied in school?

Bullying can vary from physical, verbal and mild to serious cases. Parents should listen and apply their judgement about how they can support their child.

Some suggestions for your child to deal with bullies are:

To ignore and do not react to the bullying. Bullies enjoy seeing a reaction out of their victim. If the bullying is mild eg. Verbal taunting, your child should try to present a calm disposition, ignoring the bully by walking away. If they cannot get a reaction from your child, they may find it less interesting and would direct their attention elsewhere.

Have a buddy system in place eg. your child can go with a friend to toilet and to lunch. Bullies tend not to approach your child if they are in a group. These friends can also stand up for your child.

Inform the teacher. However do take note how you would like the teacher to help. If the bullying is mild, you might want to inform the teacher to monitor but would not want the teacher to interfere. You can also request the teacher to help provide feedback on whether this bullying is restricted to your child only or other kids as well and if your child has other friends to approach for help. In serious bullying cases, the matter should be escalated to the teacher and principal so that a long term solution eg. Even exploring changing classes etc can be discussed. Never underestimate the impact of bullying on your child's self esteem.

Most importantly, be empathetic and listen  without judging so that your child will be open to share with you. Emotional support helps them deal with the stress of being bullied at school.