October is National Bullying Prevention Month. In 2007, the Iowa Legislature enacted legislation, now codified as Iowa Code section 280.28, stating all school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in Iowa will have anti-harassment/anti-bullying policies in place, and will utilize investigative procedures to collect and report data regarding incidents of bullying and harassment.
Parents, guardians, school staff, and other caring adults in your child’s life all have an important role to play in bullying prevention.
Here are five ways you can help your child prevent bullying:
- Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely.
- Reinforce that any kind of bullying behavior (physical, verbal, emotional, and/or cyber bullying) is unacceptable. Make sure your child knows how to get help and who they can go to as a trusted adult for help.
- Keep the lines of communication open. Check in with your kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns.
- Encourage kids to do what they love. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior.
- Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.
Check with your child’s school on how they proactively handle bullying prevention. His/her teacher, school counselor, and/or administrator are all wonderful resources to tap into. In addition, the following bullying prevention websites offer many wonderful tips and bullying prevention resources to use with your child.
www.pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/bullies
Meet Guest Blogger Barb Tigges
Barb Tigges is a certified K-8 School Counselor. She is excited to be in her 25th year of education and her 14th year of serving as the school counselor at Jordan Creek Elementary in West Des Moines. Barb received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and received her Master’s Degree in School Counseling through Drake University. She is actively involved in her school’s Anti-Bullying Club, Kids Care Club, and Character Counts Committee.
She and her husband, Russ, live in Clive, Iowa, and have two children, Stephanie and Adam.
