Hoping your child had a great day at school?
When we send our children off to school we tell them have a good day and hope that the day is in fact a good one. We hope they will be happy, safe and surrounded by wonderful experiences that will some day turn into cherished memories. Some parents start their mornings off with positive affirmations, reading journaling or a dance party in the living room!
Unfortunately, bullying, exclusion and mistreatment remain prevalent issues in educational settings. Whether your child is in General Education or has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 plan, understanding the signs and taking proactive steps is crucial.
So what is bullying and exclusion and what are the similarities or differences? Bullying takes various forms and its impact can be devastating. It includes:
Verbal Abuse
• hurtful words, name-calling and demeaning comments can scar a child emotionally.
• The old adage “sticks and stones” no longer hold true, words can indeed hurt and stay with you for years to come.
Physical Abuse
• pushing, hitting, kicking or any form of physical harm can cause immediate distress.
• Bruises fade but emotional wounds linger.
Social Exclusion
• Deliberate exclusion from conversations or activities can be equally painful
• Exclusion because of an issue like someone’s real or perceived label be it gender, race or disability is hard to understand for most young children.
• Feeling left out affects a child’s self esteem and sense of belonging.
Cyberbullying.
• Social media platforms provide a breeding ground for cyberbullying
• When online there are people who have a new found confidence in being especially hurtful and they behave in ways they would not do so in real life.
Empower your child
• Practice what words we use when we report incidents to the school teacher or admin.
• Explain what student’s can do when there is something happening. Maybe they have a person in the school they feel safe talking to like a counselor or the librarian. If the main teacher is busy the student feels they cannot interrupt in that moment they ask to go see the principal.
• While we want to make sure our students understand the difference between tattling and reporting – it is important for students to feel they are able to report incidents in real time.
• Offer praise when a student reports an incident either in real time, later that evening or a few days later. It is hard to report these things and the student should feel it was the right thing to do.
What can we do?
Review the IEPs and 504 plans! As parents we must remain vigilant as bullying affects children across all educational settings. Parents should communicate openly and advocate for our children’s safety. Every child deserves a nurturing and respectful environment. Let’s work together to create schools where inclusion and kindness prevails over exclusion and cruelty. Maybe…just maybe we can make this world a better place for the next generation.
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