Bullying in school and recreational activities

What is bullying?

Bullying is when an individual is targeted by a single individual or a group of people with:

• Repetitive teasing
• repeatedly demeaning behavior
• repeated demeaning words or lies
• repeated psychological bullying
• repeated threats
• repeated social rejection or exclusion.

Bullying also appears in social media interactions. It is the role of adults to ensure that children use the internet responsibly.

What do I do if my child is bullied?

1. Talk to the child. Listen carefully to the child and show love and understanding.
2. Talk to your school administrator or homeroom teacher. They're in charge of finding out if it's bullying. If the bullying is confirmed, the school draws up a plan of action to eradicate the bullying. You can also contact the administrators at the schools and recreational centers in your district's Center: East Center, North Center, South Center, West Center.
3. The school will plan how to combat the bullying. It is best to get the sufferer's permission to raise the issue. However, we must always bear in mind that it is the adults who are supposed to protect the child.

What do I do if a school notifies me that my child is involved in bullying?

When the school tells you your child is bullying, it is normal to feel disappointed and shocked. It is important to note, however, that it is not helpful for the child to excuse, justify, or make light of the behavior. Addressing the issue seriously will help not only the tolerant, but also your child.

Research shows that children who exhibit violent behavior towards their peers are at risk of long-term antisocial behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to guide the child towards better communication. The first step in this direction is to start a positive and purposeful partnership with the school.

Effects of Bullying

If a child is bullied, it will not be long before the child start to feel unwell, become fearful, unsafe, lonely, and defensive against the other children. Confidence disappears, the child retracts and even becomes ill without visible illnesses.

Prolonged bullying causes stress, which can lead to serious problems such as unwanted behavior, loss of appetite, and depression.

Who makes contact?

It is usually not recommended for the parents of sufferers to contact the perpetrators' parents themselves – or vice versa. We recommend having an administrator/homeroom teacher in charge. A teacher calls a meeting with a child and parents, explains the situation, and seeks agreement on measures to stop the bullying. The agreement is then followed up in partnership with the parents.