By Annie Goods, DART Advocate, Winn Parish

Bullying hurts everyone. It can have lasting effects on the victim, the bully, the school and the community. Bullying isn’t just a part of growing up. Bullying means repeated physical, verbal, or emotional abuse of another person. No child deserves to be treated this way.

Parents play a key role in preventing and stopping bullying. Reducing bullying in schools can lead to less overall violence in schools, increased student morale and improved overall academic performance.

Many children who are bullied keep it a secret. They may be ashamed to tell or afraid of making matters worse. A child who is being bullied may seem quiet or depressed, have unexplained bruises or injuries, or may have headaches or trouble sleeping. He might come home with missing or damaged belongings or ask for more lunch money. Children who are bullied often lose interest or perform poorly in school, or try to avoid school altogether.

Children who bully others lack respect for authority and disregard rules. They may need to have power over others or display an attitude of superiority. They often use others to get what they want. Making jokes about violence is common. If you discover that your child is bullying or being bullied, talk and listen to your child. Stay calm. Find solutions together.

Tips to help prevent bullying include spending time talking and listening to your child. Be a positive role model. Use positive discipline, physical punishment teaches that violence is a way to get what you want. Teach nonviolence by challenging media violence. Get to know your child’s friends and get involved with school activities.

Help your child stay safe by teaching him to stick with a group, not fighting back and to report all bullying. Remind your child that no one deserves to be bullied. If you are worried about your child, help is available. DART of Winn Parish is here to help with information, advocacy, safety planning, and other services. Please call the DART of Winn Parish at 318-648-0559.