A guest post from former Parents Panel member Cher Joseph:
Bullying in school has become almost an epidemic. My 17-year-old son wrote a letter to my husband and me and we read the most shocking details of his experience at school about being bullied for weeks without our knowledge. The good thing that came out of this situation is that the school district responded immediately and they have zero tolerance policy to any student being bullied and that this type of behavior is taken very seriously. As a mother I have learned that it is vital that the communication between a parent and child must begin with trust and that your child feels comfortable to talk to his or her parents. As my husband, Jean and I can testify that communication with children and teens begins by listening to your child. Listen to your child when he or she wants to talk to you about how their day went at school. Listening can be a very helpful tool and also look for signs of stress and be observant of your child’s peer interactions if you are suspicious about bullying at school. I have taught my son and 10- year-old daughter, Natalie that hitting, pushing, being teased, and their peer beings mean to them are what bullying sounds like, looks like, and feels like. My personal experience has given me awareness and prompted me to learn more about bullying policies at school and what I can do to help. The message I sent to my children is that “Bullying is not normal and unacceptable.” As a parent my main goal is to help my children address bullying and keep them both safe to grow up as healthy children who will develop healthy social relationship with friends, peers, family and in the community.