With students heading back to school this week, fears of bullying can cause extra stress for students and their parents.
The website stopbullying.gov is run by the U.S. Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Justice to help adults and children better understand and prevent bullying.
It offers these tips for adults to talk to kids about bullying and prevent the behavior before it starts:
- Help kids understand bullying. Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help.
- Keep the lines of communication open. Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns.
- Encourage kids to do what they love. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior.
- Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.
