There are ways to discourage bullies. Encourage your child to stay in a
group and avoid the bully if possible. Tell your child not to give the bully
power by reacting to their actions. A bully can be caught off guard when
situations don’t play out as he or she expects. If your child firmly tells the
bully “Leave me alone!” or ignores the bully completely, the bully won’t know
what to do.
Don’t teach your child to fight back – this will cause your child to get in
trouble and may get your child hurt. Tell your child not to stoop to the
bully’s tactics. Instead, tell your child to act confident and don’t act
scared. Holding his or her head high and looking the bully in the eye will make
the bully think twice.
Enrolling your child in a self-defense class or in martial arts will often
help build their self-esteem and help them be more assertive. The aim of the
class shouldn’t be so they can fight back. Be sure to make this clear up front.
If all else fails, teach your child that it’s okay to get help. Parents,
teachers or counselors can always be someone to turn to when other tactics
don’t work.