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What To Do If Your Child Is Involved In A Bullying Incident

by | Feb 6, 2024 | Family Life, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle

Little boy sitting alone on floor after suffering an act of bullying while children run in the background. Sad young schoolboy sitting on corridor with hands on knees and head between his legs.

What to do if your child is involved in a bullying incident

If you learn or suspect that your child has been involved in a bullying situation, your first step is to sit down and truly listen to them. Don’t jump to conclusions, don’t judge them, don’t start assigning blame and don’t let your emotions hamper your ability to gather all the facts. All parents have a strong protective instinct but the best starting point to help your child deal with bullying is calmness.

Ask them what they would like you to do to help (their wishes may be totally different to yours). Give them a say in the problem-solving process. Don’t dismiss their concerns as unimportant – it may have been difficult for them to build up the courage to talk to you about what happened and they’re looking to you for support.

If the bullying incident happened at school:

  • Make an appointment with school staff – don’t arrive unexpectedly
  • List the facts you know: the who, where, when, names of witnesses, whether this was a one-off or repeated behaviour, etc.
  • Don’t accuse the school – this may be the first they’ve heard of the incident
  • Work with the school (not against them) to try to find a solution
  • Be patient – give school staff time to gather all the information they need to investigate what happened and why
  • Self-educate about what bullying is (and isn’t)

Every school has an anti-bullying policy but their options for dealing with incidents may vary. These can include warnings, speaking to the bully’s parents, internal exclusion (within school) and either permanent or fixed term exclusion from school.

It helps to keep a bullying diary, documenting each incident as soon as possible after it occurs and including all pertinent facts. If your child has been injured, take photos. If the bullying was physical, you may need to involve a doctor or even the police. The school should be made aware of any short-term or long-term physical/emotional effects on your child from the incident(s).

If you feel the need to talk to someone about your child’s bullying situation, you can contact Lifeline, Kids Helpline, Headspace or Relationships Australia.

For more information on this topic, visit www.bullyology.com

Jessica Hickman

Jessica Hickman

Jessica is a leadership coach, speaker, educator, and author with a core focus on empowering others to own their ability with authentic confidence driving change and innovation. As the founder of Bullyology, Jessica leads the Upstander Movement creating cultural change in workplaces and community. Jessica provides individuals, schools and companies with the tools and strategies that will enable them to create a thriving respectful workplace free of Bullying and Harassment. Jessica is a published author and globally recognised speaker who is deeply committed to building strong workplace and school cultures so people can be psychologically safe across the region and beyond. With background working for local government and council the UK, Jessica Hickman landed her dream job when she came across an opportunity to work in Human Resources for a Darwin-based oil and gas project in Australia. In this leadership role, Jessica exceeded all expectations continuing to sharpen her skills on the job and creating significant cultural change. This led her to receive a slew of nationally recognised industry awards including Exceptional Women in Resources and The Northern Territory Achiever Awards. Jessica has provided training and professional talks in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Jessica delivers programmes that can be adapted to an organisations specific needs, putting the employer in a position to be a change-maker and helping ensure the organisation is optimally productive, legally compliant, safe and free from toxic behaviours. Jessica is committed to raise awareness of bullying and harassment in the workplace and inspire others to stand up for diversity and inclusion. Jessica’s unique combination of personal experience, passionate research and in-demand skill as a global thought leader makes her the perfect solution for an organisation. Jessica Hickman is a contributor to Dynamic Business, HealthCare Channel and is regularly featured in media such as to AFPA (Australian Federal Police Association), Lawyers Weekly and BBC and runs her own podcast – interviewing high profile guests. Her LinkedIn posts and articles on organisational culture, business leadership and workplace culture strategies have attracted followers globally.

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