Turn the other cheek. Push back. Talk about it. Run away.
Those are just some of the options kids have when they face bullies. Bullying continues to be an issue for schools around the country. Cruel taunting and shoves between classmates have managed to follow victims onto social media networks and text messages as a form of cyberbullying.
Thursday, President Barack Obama and his administration will host students, parents and teachers at the White House for a conference on bullying prevention. Facebook will carry the White House conference live starting at noon.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama also filmed a Facebook video to raise awareness about the topic. The video can be viewed on the StopBullying.gov Facebook page.
Last month, Newark Junior High students participated in a poster contest with the theme of stopping bullying incidents on campus.
In January, Patch readers sounded off on an ABC 7 report that covered student fights at Newark Memorial.
So what should you do when another kid is bullying your child? What should you do if your child IS the bully?
We checked in with our Patch Moms Council from the Tri-Cities area about this topic. Here's what they had to say about bullying.
- , Union City, mom of three sons: A good friend of mine recently broke down in front of me when she told me that her son had been bullied incessantly at his small, private school. She asked me how I would feel if it were my son being bullied, and the feeling took my breath away. I would be heartbroken. Yet if it were my first-grader who was being bullied, I would definitely step in and contact the teacher. If my son was in middle school like my friend's, though, I would have to take a step back. Sometimes a parent intervening can make the bullying worse. I am thinking that if a child is a bully, most likely the parent is, too, and I don't want to deal with that. Most importantly, I would want my children to feel like they could confide in me about what's going on, because the worst thing would be not knowing until it was too late.
- Jennifer Hill, Editor of Fremont Macaroni Kid, mom of four (2 teens and 2 toddlers): Bullying is a serious issue and one that needs to be taken seriously by us all. I recently read a true story written by Jodee Blanco, Please Stop Laughing at Me, that tells the story of Jodee's terrible childhood as a victim. If my child were being bullied, I would start with the teacher and quickly advance to the principal if things have not improved. Too many people think, "Kids are just being kids," or "Boys will be boys." This is NOT the right attitude and one that could end in a terrible childhood for many victims. Thankfully we have not encountered any situations that couldn't be handled by the child alone.
