As thousands of students head back to school this week, most parents are in a frenzy to get their children out of the pool and into the classroom. Other than the new pencils and backpacks it’s important for kids to have the right mental tools to kick off the new year. Studies show that approximately 1 in 5 school children are bullied in Canada and are more prone to dropping out. Montreal’s Tolerance Foundation is taking direct aim at bullying and offering some solutions for a bully-free school year .
They point to five key things parents can do to help stop bullying:
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1. Define what is acceptable and what is not: Occasional teasing and joking is one thing, but bullying is a whole other thing. It’s defined as repeated name calling, humiliation, abuse of power, threats and physical violence. Intervention and awareness are required by adults.
2. Keep lines of communication open: Research shows that the most effective way to combat bullying is to create an inclusive and safe school environment. Find out what is going on at school and stay in contact with teachers and administration if you think there’s a problem. In February, the National Assembly adopted Bill 56 which requires school boards to submit a report to the minister of education every year on what they’re doing to prevent bullying.
3.Learn to read between the lines when talking to kids: Try to understand the verbal and non-verbal communication. Children may have unexplained scratches and bruises, their bags and personal stuff may plunge inexplicably, they may complain of stomach aches, and not want to go to school without explaining why.
4. Listen to what kids are telling you: Encourage kids to talk about school, who they hang out with, who they have lunch with, to get a sense of what the relationship network is like.
5. Teach and model empathy: Talk to children about the importance of not going along with bullying by turning away. Encourage them to go to a sympathetic adult and report what happened. Teach them the difference between telling and tattling.
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