Your son always has issues going to your ex’s house. He’s told you numerous times that although his stepmother is nice to him, his new siblings have been less than friendly. You’ve spoken to your ex and his new wife about it but they said they’ve seen no issues between the siblings. One day, after returning home from a visit, your son is visibly shaken and there are bruises on his arm. After much coaxing, you learn that his stepbrother had physically assaulted him and this wasn’t the first incident. What do you do?
Childhood bullying has become a serious epidemic in the United States over the last few years. According to the Stop Bullying website, children who are bullied are more depressed, have greater anxiety, may experience health issues, decrease academic achievement, or even have thoughts of suicide. Sometimes, there may be retaliation, such as the Columbine High School shooting.
If your child is being bullied, even if it’s by a member of the family, you need to take immediate steps to end the situation before it becomes worse. Stop Bullying suggests taking the following steps to take to prevent any future incidents of bullying:
- Listen to your child. Find out what has been going on and for how long. Make sure you show that you want to help him/her.
- Assure your child that it is not his/her fault
- Consider taking the child to a medical expert who can help them
- Discuss the situation with your ex and his wife and come up with a plan to handle the situation
Remember, there is no easy solution to end bullying.
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