| If your teenage daughter comes home one day | | | | rightfully yours. Teach your child to stand his or |
| crying telling you how she has been bullied in | | | | her ground when she is right and to apologize |
| school, dont take out the shotgun and head for | | | | when he or she commits a wrong. |
| the school ground. There are better ways to | | | | You must be able to teach your teenager the art |
| handle this common problem. | | | | of differentiating routine teasing from bullying. |
| Teenage bullying is very stressful for your child | | | | Tell your teenager that there are certain |
| but this does not mean that you have to take | | | | acceptable degrees of teasing and arguing. Now |
| the situation into your own hands hands. Always | | | | of course, things like friendly teasing and arguing is |
| remember that your child must learn to handle | | | | part of socializing and your teenager must learn to |
| different life situations including bullying. It happens | | | | understand these things and accept them. |
| and there is a lesson to be learned here, but you | | | | However, when the teasing and the arguing turns |
| have to ensure that they aren't in danger too. | | | | sour and resulted to teenage bullying, tell you child |
| Note that your child must learn to be independent | | | | to put a stop to it at once by letting the others |
| and take of him or herself. If you always come | | | | know that the situation is no longer funny and |
| to her rescue every time she gets into trouble, | | | | they should stop teasing him or her at once. |
| your child will always be dependent on you. | | | | To cope with teenage bullying, teach your |
| According to studies, it is not healthy for a child, | | | | teenager social skills so that he or she will be able |
| especially a teenager, to be overly dependent on | | | | to easily fit into a group. Remember, it is very |
| his or her parents. The earlier the child learns the | | | | important for teenagers to be accepted by their |
| value of independence, the better he or she will | | | | peers. The more your child is accepted by his or |
| be able to survive as an adult. | | | | her peers, the lesser chances that he or she will |
| Helping Your Child - | | | | be subjected to teenage bullying. |
| The best thing that you can do to help your child | | | | At the same time though, peer pressure and the |
| who is a victim of teenage bullying is to give him | | | | desire to "fit in" can lead to undesirable behaviors |
| your full support and give him or her tips on how | | | | too. So keep an eye on what your child does and |
| to handle situations like this - but don't be afraid | | | | know who their friends are. |
| to step in if needed. | | | | There are times when teenage bullying goes out |
| For instance, you need to teach your child to be | | | | of control and violence happens. It is not |
| assertive. Demonstrate some assertive behavior | | | | uncommon for teenage bullying to result in more |
| and lead you child by example. However, you | | | | serious incidents. If you feel that your teenager is |
| should make it a point to differentiate assertive | | | | in danger, thats the time when you have to come |
| from demanding and aggressive. | | | | in and deal with the situation your own way. |
| Being assertive means that you only ask what is | | | | |