Copyright 2009 Kids Inc.
Serving Children and Families in the greater Omaha area including Bellevue, Gretna, Council Bluffs, Papillion, LaVista, and Fremont;
in the Overland Park - Johnson County, Kansas  area including Olathe, Lenexa, Leawood, Shawnee and Kansas City Kansas;
and in the Kansas City, Missouri area including Independence, Blue Springs, and Lee's Summit.
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kids-inc@juno.com * (402) 330-4014 (Iowa/Nebraska) * (913) 323-6550 (Kansas/Missouri)
11414 West Center Road, Suite 220
Omaha, NE  68144
(402) 334-2930 fax

7270 West 98th Terrace, Suite 105
Overland Park, KS  66212
(913) 323-6550
Kids Inc
Helping Children Develop
Find answers to questions already asked.  Click on a question below to see
the complete question and answer given by a Kids Inc. professional.




  • My child is being bullied at school.  How do I handle it with my child? With
    the school?

    ANSWER -- provided by Yeshim Oz, MA, MS, LMHP
    In order to answer this question, we need to know what bullying is.
    According to Olweus, “Bullying is when someone repeatedly and on
    purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a
    hard time to defend himself/herself “ (2007).  Bullying can take various
    forms from hitting, punching (physical) to teasing or name-calling (verbal)
    or to intimidation using gestures or social exclusion (emotional).
    Cyberbullying is another recent form of bullying through insulting text
    messages or emails.
    Children frequently do not tell their parents that they are bullied because
    they are ashamed or afraid of being seen as a “tattler”. If your child tells
    you about being bullied, he/she needs your help to stop it. Below are some
    suggestions for you on how to handle the situation:
First off, thank him/her for sharing this problem with you and tell
him/her that bullying is wrong and not his/her fault and that you are
glad he/she had the courage to tell you about it.  
Listen carefully to what your child tells you and learn as much as you
can about each bullying episode, when and where they happened etc.
Do not tell your child to ignore the bullying. If your child could ignore
it, he/she would not have told you about it.
Ask your child what he/she thinks can be done. Reassure him/her
that you will figure out what to do about it together.
Do not encourage physical retaliation. The problem can escalate into
violence or get your child suspended.
Check your emotions. At the end, you are a parent and have strong
protective instincts. But the wisest thing to do is to step back and
consider the next steps carefully.
Contact your child’s teacher, principal or counselor.
Give factual information about your child’s experience of being bullied.
Offer your support/cooperation to stop the bullying for the sake of
your child as well as other students.
Expect the bullying to stop and talk regularly with your child and with
the school staff.
Help your child become more resilient to bullying by helping him/her
develop talents; teaching him/her safety strategies; helping him/her
meet new friends outside of the school etc.

    Sources:
    1.        http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/
    2.        Olweus, Dan (2007), Bullying Prevention Program, Center City, MN: Hazelden
Parenting Questions and Answers