If you find out or suspect that your child is being bullied, there are things you can do to resolve the problem. And you don’t have to find all the answers on your own. There are a number of organisations, including Family Lives, that can give you help and advice 

How to help your child if they are being bullied

If a child tells you they’re being bullied, the first thing to do is listen. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) advises parents and carers to let children tell their story in their own words, and to not dismiss their experience as part of ‘growing up’.

The NSPCC advises you to suggest to your child that they keep a diary of bullying incidents. It will help to have concrete facts to show the school.

The next step is to talk to the school (see below).

How do you know if your child is being bullied?

Sometimes children don’t talk to their parents or carers because they don’t want to upset them, or they think it will make the problem worse.

However, if you suspect that your child is being bullied, there are signs to look out for, according to the NSPCC. These include:

• Coming home with damaged or missing clothes, without money they should have, or with scratches and bruises.
• Having trouble with homework for no apparent reason.
• Using a different route between home and school.
• Feeling irritable, easily upset or particularly emotional.

Talking to the school about bullying

To stop the bullying, it's essential for you or your child, or both of you, to talk to the school.

Think about who would be the best person to approach first. Discuss this with your child because there may be a particular teacher your child feels more at ease with.

It's worth asking about any school schemes to tackle bullying, such as peer mentoring, where certain children are trained to listen and help with problems. You could ask to see the school’s anti-bullying policy, which every school has to have by law. This will enable you to see how the school plans to prevent and tackle bullying.

For further help and advice go to http://www.asknormen.co.uk/bullying/