Bullying is something we see in all walks of life and at all ages. The exact cause of bullying can be related to problems in someone’s life, but when you grow up into an adult you’ll realise that some people are just chaotic and spiteful. At a young age, a bully is usually formed due to neglect or bad parenting, but when someone grows older there is really no excuse to resort to playground tactics and tyrannising others—it’s just childish.
However, teaching your children how to deal with the bullies in life is going to be a key component in their development. Whether it’s bullying within the school, at university or in the workplace when they grow older, there are some basic foundation elements that will help them deal with all forms of bullying.
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Teaching them about respect
Respect is something that should be taught at a young age. Far too many parents put a heavy emphasis on respecting elders or seniors, but you should also be teaching children about respecting their classmates and even those who are younger than them. Age shouldn’t be something that sets you apart from others or something that makes you feel superior. It’s a sign of how long you’ve been on this earth, but that has no real bearing on your status over others.
We see this a lot in the workplace. A senior member of staff will try to exert his or her power in status over others, or an employer might give ridiculous orders and think they are above everyone else. While there is a need for leadership in the office, there’s a distinction between a good leader and a tyrant and this is what your child should be learning.
Seeking help
If the bullying has gone too far and your child feels like they are in danger, then it’s best to teach them to seek help. Speak to a parent, a figure of authority such as a teacher, or an older student such as a sibling. It’s best that your child doesn’t bottle up those emotions to a point they feel lonely.
Later on in life, we might experience similar bullying from our employers or people that we work with. For instance, you might have suffered an accident at work and your employers might not believe that anything is wrong with you and force you back to work. You can deal with this in the same way a child turns to a figure of higher authority—by contacting a lawyer such as Jacob Partiyeli to give you advice and help you deal with workplace bullying and also your injury.
Making a stand
You should be teaching your child not to succumb to the demands of bullies and to make a stand for themselves. If they believe that something is unfair, then they need to act on it. For instance, if they are being pushed around at school, teach them to calmly ask the bully to stop. If they see someone else being bullied, then they should attempt to help that person. While making a stand and protecting someone else can be a gamble, they can help that person in other ways such as comforting them and making friends with them.
Again, this happens later in life too. You might see an employee being shouted at or ridiculed at work because of his or her choices, but instead of joining the bullying your child should learn about respecting that person and making a stand.
