What Kids, Teens, and Parents Can Do to be Advocates for Anti-Bullying in Youth Communities

November 21, 2024

November includes Anti-Bullying week, which marks a time to reflect upon how we can create safer, more inclusive environments for everyone– especially our youth. Bullying can happen anywhere youth congregate– including in schools, online, and in extracurricular settings. It is important that kids, teens, and parents are equipped with skills to advocate for themselves and others in ways that are developmentally appropriate, and help ensure their safety.

What kids can do

 Children can learn the signs of bullying and practice appropriate responses. Help your child to identify trusted adults where they learn and where they play, and practice with them what they might say to report an instance of bullying. Adults can facilitate these conversations in advance in order to help their children feel more comfortable help-seeking in the future. Adults can also talk with children about the importance of kindness, and how they may be an ally to peers in their class.

What teens can do

Teens can take on roles as active bystanders in their community. Talk with your teen about what it means to speak out against bullying. It can be useful to start by helping your teen identify all of the communities they are a part of– online and in person. From there, teens can work with adults to identify how they can promote inclusivity in those communities in a way that is authentic to them. This may look like checking in on friends, engaging in acts of kindness, or getting involved in a school club or organization focused on anti-bullying efforts. In an instance of bullying, teens can offer peer-to-peer support through active listening, speaking out, and choosing to stand up for peers who are victims. It is important that your teen is familiar with their school-based behavioral health provider so they can connect themselves or their peers to help if needed.

What parents can do

Parent involvement is critical for school wide bullying prevention. Parents can reinforce and model kindness at home, and in their interactions with others in public or at their child’s school. It is also important for parents to be aware of the bullying policy at their child’s school, and how reports of bullying are handled. Adults can advocate for stronger policies to be put in place, and work with teachers to reinforce school-wide efforts at home. Above all, adults pay a key role in reducing stigma around reporting instances of bullying by normalizing these conversations and encouraging help-seeking behaviors.

If you or your child is experiencing bullying, please check out the resources below for more support:

References:

www.stopbullying.gov
pacerteensagainstbullying.org
pacerkidsagainstbullying.org