A study from the American Justice Department showed that 1 in 4 troubled teens are a victim of bullying. Unfortunately, bullying is no longer just push and a shove on the playground. It has increased to harassment, including the physical and emotional harm of your teen. As a parent, it is your responsibility to take care of the victim, your child, and address the issue head on. There can be no tolerance for this issue as it can cause emotional, physical, and mental problems in your teen. Another recent study showed that teens who are bullied are more likely to become defiant adults and possibly commit suicide. Given the facts, you should feel it mandatory to make a call to action with your child and their educational leaders. Troubled teens may be victims of the following types of bullying: Verbal, physical, emotional, or cyber bullying. Either way, they are all defined as a deliberate and painful behavior repeated over a period of time. Your teen may be the victim of bullying because they are perceived as vulnerable. In other words, take the compliment that your child is good and wants to do right by you. However, the prolonging process of bullying can cause them to fear others, including you, and lead them to a life of resentment and possible criminal behavior.
How Parents Can Protect Troubled Teens from Bullying
Protection is a strong word and you want nothing more than to make your child feel safe and happy. It is important to monitor your child’s behavior in order to confront them. Troubled teen being bullied will show signs of stomach pain, even ulcers, nightmares, anxiety, and unsafe. They will frequently take ill, and possibly diminish their extra-curricular activities that they love. However, there are ways you can help your troubled teen defeat their bully.
- If you are positive that your child is a bully victim, you must remain on their side. Today, there is no room for telling your child to tough it up. When your child confides in you, the last thing they need to hear is for you to tell them they are weak. Take what they say seriously and reassure them that you have the authority to do something about the situation. This way your teen will feel more confident that the problem is not just theirs and they can defeat their bully with your help.
- It is natural for parents to want to solve their child’s problems but it will serve them better if you teach them how to solve it themselves. When parents take immediate action, their child will place blame on themselves for the incident. Always reassure them at it is not their fault, that the blame resides where it belongs.
- The major problems at hand when troubled teens are being bullied are more serious than communication and standing up. Bullying, when prolonged, will eventually lead to devastation and humiliation. Fore example, your teen may come home with a limp or a bloody nose. As a victim of this bully, they have been physically harmed, and you have no choice but to contact the authorities. Unfortunately this can get messy. But your child will understand the actions you had to take.
- When your child is not being physically threatened, it leaves more room for communication and understanding. Talk to your child about way they could handle the situation at school. For example, ask them about being around friends in between classes, lunch, and before/after school. There is safety in numbers and your teen will feel better about talking to their friends rather than you talking to parents.
- It is important to remember that teachers will not always fully scope out the problem at hand. They are extremely busy but they want nothing more than your child to feel safe and unharmed. You may have to meet with them and their superiors to discuss the situation. By doing this, you have increased safety numbers in your teens’ safety. Ask their teachers to involve them in extra work during lunch or after school until you can pick them up. Kids love helping their teachers and this way, your child builds good friendships with elders and will feel safe.
What Parents Can do if the Problem Persists
No parent wants their troubled teens’ battles to turn into a war. But sometimes they just do, even after everything you have worked so hard to avoid. Therefore, it will be necessary to keep proof of harm and involve the authorities. Remember, your child’s future is at stake each time they become objectified and humiliated. Their emotional well being could be ruptured into something terrible. Do not allow this to happen. Call Zion Educational Systems (866-471-8579) to find out what your next step should be. Please, don’t wait until it’s too late to help your troubled teens’ self-esteem. It matters.
