Protect Your Children from Bullying and Support Safe Schools
As adults, we tend to downplay or underestimate the amount and seriousness of bullying that occurs in our children's schools. But bullying is a serious, widespread problem that needs to be addressed to safeguard our children and provide safer, more secure learning environments.
A nationally representative U.S. study shows that 17 percent of all students reported having been bullied "sometimes" or more often within a school term. This amounts to almost one in five students. And, for every case reported to school officials, there are many more bullied students who suffer in silence.1
If your school doesn't have a research-based schoolwide bullying prevention program like the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, you can be a strong advocate for the program in your school. It is often parents who bring the issue of bullying to the attention of schools, and parents can be a strong motivator for schools to address the issue. Learn more about how you can advocate for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.
Parent involvement is essential for the smooth running of many aspects of school life, and it's also an important component of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. As a parent, you can support the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program by:
- reinforcing the same anti-bullying messages and social rules about caring for others at home, providing a consistent message for students in all areas of their lives
- talking with administrators, teachers, and staff about bullying problems
- teaching your children to tell you or another adult if they or someone else is being bullied
- understanding how the program will work in your school and in the classroom
- learning how to intervene when you witness a bullying situation
- accessing program resources and strategies to help prevent and reduce possible bullying problems
- helping to refine and implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in your children's school by serving on the Bullying Prevention Coordination Committee and/or helping in individual classrooms, or community events
- attending schoolwide and class meetings
Find out more about recognizing bullying.
View Olweus Bullying Prevention Program FAQs.
Resources
How to talk with educators at your child's school about bullying (pdf)
How to advocate for a bullying prevention program in your child's school? (pdf)
Tips for parents: What to do if your child is being bullied (English pdf)
Tips for parents: What to do if your child is being bullied (Spanish pdf)
Tips for parents: What to do if your child bullies others (English pdf)
Tips for parents: What to do if your child bullies others (Spanish pdf)
Tips for parents: What to do if your child witnesses bullying (English pdf)
Tips for parents: What to do if your child witnesses bullying (Spanish pdf)
What can parents do to prevent and address cyberbullying? (pdf)
