"How to Build Resilience and Cope with Bullying: A Guide for Teens and Parents"

1-Bullying is an important problem in schools and colleges

It constitutes a form of violence and is encouraged by aggressive, repetitive behaviors and imbalanced power relations.

2- Types of  bullying include:

●  physical bullying, such as beating, physical injury, and sexual abuse ,

● verbal bullying, such as name-calling and taunting, or indirect bullying, such as rumour-mongering.

● Cyber bullying

3- Bullying has detrimental effects on students' health, wellbeing and learning.

 It can make students feel lonely, unhappy and frightened.

Students who bully others are also more likely to have problems and be unhappy.

4- Being bullied can affect everything about a child:

● How they see themselves,

● Their friends, school, and

● Their future.

5- Students who are bullied often experience :

● depression,

● low self-esteem that may last a lifetime,

● shyness,

● loneliness,

● physical illnesses, and

● threatened or attempted self-harm.

6- How to deal with a bully-  

● Don't blame yourself. It is not your fault. No matter what a bully says or does, you should not be ashamed of who you are or what you feel.

● The bully is the person with the problem, not you.

● Don't beat yourself up.

●  Don't make a bullying incident worse by dwelling on it or replaying it over and over in your head.

● Focus on the positive experiences in your life.

● Be proud of who you are. Despite what a bully says.

● Remind yourself of all the special, unique qualities that make you you.

● Learn to manage stress.

● Finding healthy ways to relieve the stress generated by bullying.

● Exercise, meditation, positive self-talk, muscle relaxation, and breathing exercises are all good ways to cope with the stress of bullying.

● Spend time doing things you enjoy.

● Talk to a licensed therapist .

Warning signs of bullying-

Your child may be the victim : If they-

● Withdraw from family, friends, and activities they previously enjoyed.

● Suffer an unexplained drop in grades.

● Refuse to go to school or to specific classes,

● Show changes in mood, behavior, sleep, appetite, or show signs of depression or anxiety.

● Avoid discussions

● Become sad, angry, or distressed

Warning signs your child may be a bully

Your child:

● Is often violent with other kids.

● Frequently engages in physical or verbal fights with others.

● Spends a lot of time in detention or receiving other punishments,

● Has extra money, new possessions, or other items that cannot be explained.

● Refuses to accept responsibility and blame others.

● Hangs around with friends who bully others.