Being part of a group is certainly a main issue for most young people .They have a desire to belong and to feel appreciated. They want to make a special contribution to their generation.
When my daugter went to high school she had to cope with social bullying .A group of girls felt that she was too focussed on her studies and probably did not like it.She did not prefer being part of a group , but had just one best friend.They tried everything to make the school experience unpleasant , until one day that she told me about this.
Sometimes parents fight these battles for their children , but I decided to coach her to be brave and stood up for herself.Of course it was not easy .It depends on the character of the teen.If he or she is usually an independent person , they will defend themselves .I told her to beat them at their own game and it worked ! Teens definitely need guidance on how to handle different situations coming their way .I think we can call it life coaching.
When a teen does not have a strong identitiy who they are and do not know the potential that is hidden inside of them , they will struggle coping with issues coming their way .
The action plan
Teachers and parents must make learners aware of true potential inside of them .It needs to be activated.The greatest start to activate is through prayer.I cannot emphasize prayer enough , because it strengthens both the learner as well as the person praying.Through prayer we asked God to step into the situation.
We encourage learners and prefects to speak up and identify any kind of bullying at school.At our school we are constantly on the look out for bullies .In my own experience it has always worked even if it takes time.It will be so much easier if all the roleplayers could be effectively involve.
In some cases , like in my son’s case , the parent has to act immediately and remove the teen from that environment ; after few a interventions did not help.
It helps to talk about the issue with the teen at home without letting your fears and worries taking over .Be calm , but concerned ; giving advice.
These are my own experiences and how I handled some of it with my children.As I said previously , there are expert advice giving many information which I also read.But most of the time I seek my guidance from God.
Such a powerful post. My heart breaks for anyone who is bullied. I feel their pain because I too was bullied from grade six until I finally switched schools during my senior year. It got so bad that I attempted suicide at age 14 and almost didn’t make it. But luckily I survived the attempt and now, I use what I went through to help those who are bullied today. I believe in turning negatives into positives and if I can help one, just one bullied victim see their worth and go on living, then I know what I endured all those years ago wasn’t in vain. And I get healing and closure from it. Thank you so much for posting this! 🙂 ❤
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🤗this is very dear to my heart because we see this every day trying to help the victims at school.its great that you turn your experience into a positive.👏
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Thank you so much for your kind words! 💗
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