What You Can Do If Your Child Is Being Bullied
If your child is starting to act different and is making up excuses all the time for not being able to go to school, you may want to talk to your child to find out what is going on in his or her life. A lot of young children start acting differently when they are being bullied, and this issue can be dangerous if left unaddressed. If your child admits that he or she is being bullied, as a parent, you may want to take the following steps to put a stop to this immediately.
Talk to the school
Bullying is something that can happen anywhere and at any time, and it commonly occurs at school or during school-related activities. If this is the case, your first step should be to talk to your child to find out as much information as possible. This includes finding out the following details:
- Who is doing this?
- When did it begin?
- When or where does it happen?
- What exactly does the bully do?
Once you have this information, you should visit your child's school. Letting the principle know about this is a great first step to take. Not only could this help stop the bullying, but it could also offer insight to you as the parent. You might be able to learn more about the kids that are bullying your child, and you might be able to find out the history of these particular children, including their disciplinary records. You can also use this time to find out the school's rules and procedures related to bullying.
Seek legal counsel
If the school does not enforce their rules with bullying or if the bullying doesn't stop even after the school has taken all necessary steps, it might be wise to talk to a family lawyer about this issue. You might be able to press charges against the parents of the child that is bullying your child, and this may include criminal charges in some cases.
All 50 states currently have anti-bullying laws in place, and most of these laws are relatively new. While bullying has always been an issue with kids, it seems to be more of an issue today because of the widespread use of electronics.
Bullying can cause emotional and physical harm to a child of any age, and it is something that should not be ignored or tolerated. If you are having a hard time stopping the bullying on your own, now might be a good time to find out your legal options by talking to a family lawyer like one from Hurth Sisk & Blakemore LLP.