What can you do If your child is being bullied?
The best thing you can do in these circumstances is to take a deep breath and listen carefully to everything your child has to say.
Explain your worries as calmly as possible to the class teacher, or the head of year, and request that they keep an eye on the situation and let you know if they have any concerns.
If the bullying continues, keep a diary of what your child says is happening and encourage your child to do the same.
Put your concerns in writing to your child’s teacher or the head of year with evidence from the diary.
Ask for the letter to be put on your child’s file to ensure there is an official record of the bullying.
Also request a written note of what action will be taken by the school. Suggest that contact between the bully and your child is monitored and limited.
In primary school this could mean moving bullies to a different table, in secondary school it could mean operating teacher patrols in bullying hotspots such as changing rooms or toilets.
Ask for a follow-up meeting after a couple of weeks to discuss how things are going.
What if it all gets on top of your child?
In extreme cases of bullying, the thought of going to school can seem too much for children.
However, keeping a child at home due to bullying is considered to be an unauthorised absence. If your child is not receiving tutoring at home, you could be liable for prosecution.
Yes, bullies can be beaten but only if parents, teachers and the children themselves, take the issue seriously.
