Helping Your Child with a Bully: Learning to Respond Wisely

It's hard to know what to do when you see your child struggling with a bully. Do you encourage them to tell an authority figure? Call the other child's parents? Intervene? What is the right response?

It's always important to take bullying seriously and to guide your child in how to respond when it happens to them or those around them. Experienced family and children's counselor Julie Lowe offers tips for discerning the nature of the concerning behavior, gives practical advice for the best ways to respond, and points parents to the wisdom from God that comes as we ask him for guidance and help. She encourages parents to start by being a source of comfort and understanding, helping a child identify safe people to go to, and role-playing appropriate responses to mean behavior. Reminding children that their value comes from Jesus and that he is always with them will help counteract the temptation for retribution, mishandling of conflict, or falling into isolation.