What You Can Do If Your Child Is A Victim Of School Bullying
At least 1 in 3 children are bullied in schools in Canada. Bullying can be so stressful to the victims that it can lead to suicidal ideation. In fact, research shows that bullied children are two times more likely to consider suicide than their non-bullied peers. If your child is being bullied at school, it's important to put a stop to it. Here are a few tips that may help.
How to Tell If Your Child Is Being Bullied
First, you'll need to be aware of the warning signs that can tell you your child may be bullied. Many bully victims do not tell anyone they are being bullied. If your child is bullied, he or she may no longer be interested in participating in things they would normally enjoy. He or she may fake being sick to get out of going to school. Your child may have trouble sleeping and eating due to worrying about being bullied. Bully victims tend to have low self-esteem and depression.
If your child exhibits these types of warning signs, ask them specifically what is going on at school and if they are being bullied. But, expect them to be a bit apprehensive. The bully may have threatened them into keeping the bullying a secret. If you suspect that your child is bullied, yet cannot get him or her to open up about it, schedule an appointment with the school therapist or guidance counselor.
Go to the School to Stop the Bullying
An appointment with the school therapist or guidance counselor is a good first step in getting the school involved, but don't stop there. Discuss the bullying with your child's principal. Ask the principal what types of programs they have in place to deal with bullies.
Make sure they follow through with their policies, even if that means calling them every day to see if anything has changed. If the bullying continues, take it to the school board. The school has a duty of care and is legally required to make sure your child is not in any danger while under their care. However, be aware that changing the behavior of a bully could take some time, depending on how deeply ingrained the behavior is in the student. During this time, it is important for your child to continue to see the therapist or school counselor.
Do Not Confront the Bully or the Parents
The school board has a duty of care to your child, as well as to the bullying child. It's important to understand that some children who bully do so because they have problems of their own, such as an unstable home life. The bully may have learned this behavior from his or her parents. Parents of bullies may become defensive, or not care at all. Or, the parents may be fully cooperative. Since you don't know how the bully's parents will react, it's best to let the school handle it.
Hire a Lawyer if the School Does Not Stop the Bullying
If the school does not follow through with the duty of care it is required to provide to your child, and your child continues to be bullied at the school, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the school board in small claims court. In fact, several families have done this in Ontario after they had tried unsuccessfully to get the school to stop the bullying. The lawsuits, if anything, helped bring awareness to the community about the problem of bullying in the schools.
Children should not have to tolerate being bullied in school. If your child is a bully victim, make sure the school is involved. They have a legal obligation to make sure your child is taken care of and unharmed. Speak with a lawyer to find out the specific steps to take to file a lawsuit against the school board if they fail to stop the bullying behavior.