Las Vegas, NV (September 9, 2015) – Each day, approximately 160,000 children miss school because they are afraid of bullying according to a 2012 National Education Association report. Bullying is a serious problem that can have long-term effects on its young victims. Specifically, robbing them of self-esteem, isolating them from their peers, lowering their grades in school and, possibly, leading to health problems or thoughts of suicide. There are steps that we can take as parents to help prevent children from being bullied as well as support actions in the event they are a bullying victim.
AlertID, the free neighborhood safety network and app that helps protect families, continues to raise awareness on issues which pose a threat to the well-being of children and families. “As children return to school, it’s a great time to educate parents on how to prevent bullying and teach our kids how to combat it,” said AlertID Founder, Keli Wilson.
For more information on how to prevent and combat bullying, go to https://alertid.com/search/bullying.asp.
The following are important tips on how to prevent your child from being bullied as well as tips for what to do if your child is a victim of bullying:
How to prevent your child from being bullied:
- Teach children to be assertive and teach them to have empathy for others. Emphasize peaceful ways to solve problems and encourage kids to stand up for themselves verbally, not violently.
- Give children positive feedback to build their self-esteem. Help give them the self-confidence to stand up for what they believe in. Encourage your child to help others who need it.
- Ask your children about their day and listen to them talk about school, social events, classmates, and any problems they have.
- Get to know their friends. Encourage your children to invite their friends to your home or accompany you on family outings.
- If you see any bullying, stop it right away, even if your child is the one doing the bullying.
What you can do if your child is bullied:
- Take bullying seriously. Many kids are embarrassed to say they have been bullied. You may only have one chance to step in and help, take that important step.
- Teach your child nonviolent ways to deal with bullies, like walking away, playing with friends, or talking it out.
- Help your child act with self-confidence. With him or her, practice walking upright, looking people in the eye, and speaking clearly.
- Don’t encourage your child to fight. This could lead to him or her getting hurt, hurting someone else, getting in trouble, and initiating more serious problems with a bully.
- Involve your child in activities outside of school. This way he or she can make friends in a different social circle.
- Seek help from a teacher or principal to help address the problem.
About AlertID
AlertID, the nationwide neighborhood safety network, is available online as well as on your smartphone to help protect families by providing the information you need to keep your kids safe. Members are able to view an interactive map displaying crimes and sex offenders currently in their selected neighborhoods and can receive alerts and information for multiple locations such as their homes, schools or offices that include: law enforcement emergency alerts, crime and sex offender alerts, prevention tips and much more. Additionally, the app acts as a virtual neighborhood watch where members can share photos and information regarding suspicious activity with neighbors.
The AlertID mobile app is available for download on iTunes or the Android market. To sign up for an AlertID account or for more information, please go towww.AlertID.com.
