October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying is unwanted, abuse or mistreatment of an individual or group by someone or other people.
Some examples of bullying are:
Physical: hitting, kicking, pinching, tripping
Verbal: name calling, insults, teasing
Social: spreading rumors, isolation, playing nasty jokes to embarrass
Cyber: abusive or harmful texts, emails, or images, internet rumors
As a parent or guardian talk to your child about bullying and listen when they talk to you about it. Look for changes in your child’s behavior, eating habits or even unexplainable injuries. Technology is a large part of everyone’s life now and parents need to embrace this and teach our children to use the internet responsibly and safely. Not all children seek help or exhibit signs when they are being bullied. It is important for caregivers to be aware of changes to help prevent other negative effects of bullying in the long run.
