BlackDoctor.org: How can you teach your child to set limits with their peers to avoid bullying?
Kyla Gordon: Helping the child understand and identify what his/her personal limits are is critical to avoiding being bullied. What is your limit of personal disrespect? What physical touch is accepted/denied? Are there specific people you will not tolerate these things from?
BlackDoctor.org: What are 5 tips to help prevent your child from being bullied?
Kyla Gordon:
- Be assertive.
- Set limits and reinforce boundaries.
- Help them understand what bullying is.
- Encourage open communication amongst child and parents.
- Encourage kids to participate in activities that will boost their confidence.
BlackDoctor.org: There seems to be a lot more emphasis on bullying in recent years. Schools have cracked down on this type of behavior. Why do you believe this is?
Kyla Gordon: I believe bullying has increased with the rise of social media because it can occur 24/7, images can be posted anonymously and shared to a wide audience; thus leading to public humiliation. Cyberbullying has included inappropriate text messages, rumors posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles which unfortunately is difficult to delete.
BlackDoctor.org: What lasting words wold you like to leave our parents looking to keep their children safe this school year?
Kyla Gordon: Be mindful of the signs of bullying:
- Use alcohol and drugs
- Skip school
- Be unwilling to attend school
- Receive poor grades
- Have lower self-esteem
- Regression
- Withdrawn
- Opposition