Battling the Bully: Helping Children Avoid Conflict

How can parents safeguard their children from being a victim of a bully? The best solution is to teach them how to be assertive. This involves encouraging your children to express their feelings clearly, to say no when they feel pressured or uncomfortable, to stand up verbally for themselves without fighting, and to walk away in more dangerous situations. Bullies are less likely to intimidate children who are confident and resourceful. Here are a handful of tips:

• Teach your children early on to steer clear of youth with bullying behavior.
  
  
• Teach your children to be assertive rather than aggressive or violent when confronted with a bully. Instruct them to walk away and get help from an adult in more dangerous situations. Practice various responses with your children through role-playing.
  
  
• Teach your children never to defend themselves from bullies who have a weapon.
  
  

For more information contact the National PTA (pta.org).