How to Prevent Bullying and Build a Culture of Respect
Every child deserves to feel safe, included, and respected at school. While schools play an important role in preventing bullying, parents also need to help their children understand what respect looks like and how their actions can affect others.
October is a natural time to start these conversations. In Nevada, schools recognize Week of Respect during this first week of October, providing an opportunity to focus on positive relationships and preventing bullying and other harmful behaviors. October is also recognized nationally as Bullying Prevention Month.
However, these conversations about kindness, respect, and standing up for others shouldn’t end when October does. They can become part of the everyday conversations you have with your child.
What Does Respect Look Like?
Respect is easier to talk about, but harder for children to recognize in everyday situations. Help your child think about what respect looks like in the classroom, on the playground, online, and at home.
Respect means:
- Listening when someone else is speaking
- Including others instead of intentionally leaving them out
- Treating classmates, teachers, and school staff with kindness
- Respecting personal space and boundaries
- Thinking about how words or actions might make someone else feel
- Being kind when disagreeing with someone
- Speaking up when someone is being treated unfairly
Children won’t always handle every social situation perfectly, and that’s part of learning. What matters is helping them recognize their choices and understand how they can respond differently when a situation does not go as planned.
Talk to Your Child About Bullying
Children often don’t recognize when a situation has become bullying, and they are typically hesitant or embarrassed to tell an adult about what’s happening.
Instead of waiting for a problem to arise, make conversations about bullying a regular part of talking with your child about school.
You could ask:
- “How are things going with your classmates?”
- “Have you seen anyone being left out or treated unkindly?”
- “What would you do if you saw someone being bullied?”
- “Is there anything happening at school that has been bothering you?”
Keep the conversation open and calm. Let your child know that coming to you about a difficult situation will not get them in trouble.
Teach Your Child How to Respond
Children may encounter situations where they see someone being excluded, teased, or treated unkindly. They may not know what to do in that moment.
Talk through possible responses with your child. Depending on the situation, they might move away from the behavior, support the child who is being targeted, or tell a trusted adult.
It is also important to remind children that they should not handle serious or unsafe situations on their own. Getting help from a trusted adult is not tattling when someone may be in danger or experiencing ongoing harmful behavior.
Watch for Changes in Your Child
Sometimes children have difficulty explaining what’s happening at school. Changes in behavior can give parents an opportunity to check in.
You may notice that your child:
- Suddenly does not want to go to school
- Becomes unusually withdrawn or upset
- Stops talking about friends or activities they normally enjoy
- Seems worried about social situations
- Experiences changes in their usual behavior at home
These changes don’t automatically mean that bullying is occurring. However, this is a great reason to gently ask how your child is doing and give them space to talk.
How Do I Best Help My Child If They Tell Me They Are Being Bullied?
If your child comes to you about bullying, start by listening.
Let them know that you are glad they told you and that they do not have to handle the situation alone. Try to gather information about what happened without immediately placing blame or encouraging your child to retaliate.
If the behavior is ongoing or your child feels unsafe, communicate with the appropriate school staff so that you can work together to address the situation.
A calm, supportive response can help your child feel heard while giving the adults around them an opportunity to help.
Parents and Schools Can Work Together
Preventing bullying is not something parents or schools have to do alone. When families and educators communicate, children have more consistent support when they are learning how to navigate friendships, disagreements, and difficult social situations.
Schools are obligated to create a supportive environment to help students grow academically and personally. Parents can contribute to that environment by reinforcing the importance of respect, kindness, responsibility, and positive relationships at home.
When children hear consistent messages from the important adults in their lives, they have more opportunities to practice those values in their everyday interactions.
Respect Is Always an Ongoing Conversation
Week of Respect and Bullying Prevention Month provide helpful reminders to talk with children about how they treat others and how they should endeavor to be treated themselves. However, building a respectful community can take more than one week or even one month.
Keep checking in with your child. Talk about their friendships. Ask how they are treating others. Encourage them to seek help when something feels wrong.
Small conversations can help children develop the confidence and awareness they need to contribute to a school community where everyone has the opportunity to feel respected and included.
Parents who want additional guidance can learn more about bullying prevention and ways to support their child through StopBullying.gov.
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