You may be worried that your child is being bullied because you have noticed a change in their behaviour.
Some children may become quiet and withdrawn; they might be upset and tearful but unable to say why. Sometimes children are reluctant to go to school or travel alone. There may be unexplained bruising, broken or missing belongings.
Children are often unwilling to talk about their experiences because in some way they feel responsible, as though it was their own fault. They may also be concerned that any adult involvement may make matters worse.
It is important to find the time to talk to your child and to reassure them that things can be sorted out. You should take their concerns seriously. The fact that your child has asked for your help suggests there is a genuine problem.
Many parents are understandably very angry to discover that their child is suffering at the hands of bullies and need to know what to do next.
If a young person in your family is being bullied at school it is vital that you work with their teachers to find a solution. The head teacher is responsible for providing a safe place in which children can learn and for preventing all forms of bullying amongst pupils.
Your child's school will have a behaviour management policy which should include bullying. You should have been given a copy of this policy at some stage you can always ask the school for a copy of their behaviour (or anti-bullying) policy. You need to know what kind of action the school will take in cases of reported bullying.
Work with teachers and staff so that the agreed procedures for investigating incidents of bullying can be followed effectively. Be clear about agreed timelines and expect the school to report back to you on agreed dates. If this does not happen, do not give up. Speak to someone else, the head teacher or a parent governor for example.
It is often wise to discuss things with your child before you take action so that you can maintain a good relationship with them.
Avoid any attempt to sort out problems without the support of the school. If children are encouraged to 'fight back' and cause physical harm to another child, then they could find themselves in trouble with the school.
Hopefully, once you have brought the matter to the school's attention, the situation will soon be sorted out.
However, if you are concerned that matters have not been addressed in line with the school's published policy statement, you might wish to lodge a formal complaint with the Chair of Governors who can be contacted through the school.
