The Parent Book.
Therapist-written support for parents
Takeaway
One-page summary
One-page summary
When Your Child Is Being Bullied
A chapter for parents whose child has named something serious.
From the full chapter at theparentbook.com/reader/when-your-child-is-being-bullied
What helps when your child is being bullied
The activated parent wants to act tonight. The moves that change the picture are slower and run through the school.
- Do not ring the other parent. The call almost never produces what you hope for, and by morning the bullying child usually knows yours told. The route that works is the school.
- Go in as a partner, not a prosecutor. Email the class teacher or head of year: what your child has told you, what the school has observed, and a request to meet. In person, and not about whose child is at fault.
- Bring specifics, and keep a written record. The school often cannot see bullying without being told; your information is frequently new. If the response is inadequate, write to the head and ask for the anti-bullying policy.
- Call the specialists if it will not shift. Kidscape’s Parent Advice Line holds exactly this territory for parents who have been through the school process and the picture has not changed.
Urgent help
If you or your child is in immediate danger, call 999. If you, or your child, is in mental health crisis, call NHS 111 and choose the mental-health option in England, Scotland and Wales, or Lifeline, free and confidential on 0808 808 8000, in Northern Ireland. Every other helpline, including Childline, Papyrus, NSPCC, Shout and Samaritans, is at theparentbook.com/urgent-help.