If your kid was being bullied at school

When I was being bullied at school, over 20 years ago now, and eventually told my mother, she took me to see the principle, showed him the bruises over me, and then the matter got sorted.
Boy was talked to, as were his parents, and it stopped.
Several others in my class thanked me afterwards as he stopped beating the ****e of them at the same time.

Best decision I made was to tell someone.

It was a different situation to boys mucking around and beating each other a bit as you tend to do, in that situation best thing to do is thump back, but aim to land one on a hard spot, or throat. Generally that way they'll swing for someone else first the next time a beating session starts.

Only other occasion I properly recall was when the biggest bully in the year thumped me on the back of the head as we were walking into the locker room one day, he was in a different class, I actually thought it was a m8 arsing about, spun round and grabbed him hard by the throat (the only ninja-esque move i've made in my life, I truely think I was a blur in that moment) then my brain caught up and I realsie I had the hardest most evil ******* in the year by the throat.
Several seconds seem to pass in slow motion as I pondered just what way I was going to die... but no, he smiled, a big broad smile, I smiled and let go of his throat, we laughed and walked off to class. At that time I really didn't understand why I was in one piece.
 
I was bullied at my school simply because my mother worked there. I just let it carry on and on untill i started having panic attacks from it. I was never one for fighting, I was more interested in doing well at my exams.
 
I'd teach my kid how to KO the bullies and also try and get some bigger kids to look out for him - were that to fail I'd go see the parents. Schools fail at such things so I wouldn't even bother to leave such a matter in their hands.


(assuming we are talking secondary school, were it primary I'd deal with the school straight off)
 
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Talking from my own experience at school but..

If i had kids and they were being bullied, i'd teach them to stand up for themselves mentally and physically. I would heavily consider encouraging them to enrol in Martial Arts or some such.

If there was an incident where they were hit in any way i'd tell them to hit back harder, but i wouldn't encourage them to actively confront them though. The worse thing is to pretend nothing is happening and turn a blind eye to it.

As for the school I'd tell them in no uncertain terms to sort it out. No polite talk, I'd tell them straight exactly what i thought. Skirting around the issue by being diplomatic will get you nowhere.

Dealing with the parents is difficult area, if the kids a complete ****, it's a good chance the parents are.

If it was really serious, i'd just remove my kid from the school.
 
My oldest son is 6 and he gets bullied a lot at school, even out of school by the same kids, so I told him if he gets hit he hits them back. My parents always say "Don't tell him to hit them back" but then it carries on, so hitting them back he is standing up for himself. I don't like know he is being bullied tho as you can't do much as a parent, if you tell the school, they get it twice as bad because they involved their parents...It's a no win situation unless you get your child to stand up for himself.

My youngest is 3 and I have no concerns about him being bullied, more concerned about him being the bully, but he will look after his brother when he is older so I'm not too concerned.
 
Tough one... My actual eldest boy started school last week.. He's more of the gentle no violence type who's probably going to be a target for the bullies.. His younger brother on the other hand, is the complete opposite and will never be bullied.. Actually probably he'll be a bully. Cocky, confident, loves a fight.

I may just have his younger brother take care of the situation. hehehe I think for the eldest getting him into boxing / wrestling is a must for him.. At least if he takes out the wannabe school hardman when picked on, they'll probably leave him alone. Or it could fuel a rage.. Very difficult situation. Best thing you can do is get them the skills to be able to sort it out themselves. Just one fight and the perception in the school playground will be set. Weakness is what the bullies go for !

I was always fighting at school, got suspended twice for it... But I was never ever bullied.
 
Better to dish a few out and take a pasting anyway rather than just stand there and do nothing - better for self esteem as a kid. Bullies tend to get tired of someone who fights back; there's easier pickings.
That said, if it's a serious problem, kick up a fuss at the school.
 
My sister was bullied in high school at it took a lot of fights and despair to get it sorted in the end, the school sorted it out and she moved classes, she is 30 now and just got a degree 2.1 and a job for a company in a management role and one of the bullies is a single mother with 2 kids and lives in a council house on benefits.
 
The reasonable side of me would want to speak to the school, but more so, speak to a respectable teacher that I know. However, I'm aware of how pathetic even good schools can be at dealing with bullying.

I'd have to be in the situation, to be honest. :o
 
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