Strategies for Dealing with a Bully

         Once we know what defines bullying, we strive to teach students how to be aware of their surroundings to avoid becoming a target.  Because a bully wouldn't want to get in trouble, they tend to seek out areas with less supervision to conduct their bullying.  The bus, the lunch room, the play ground, the bathrooms...anywhere there aren't as many adults to watch.  If students can be more aware while in those locations, or avoid them if that makes sense, it will help them stay out of harms way. 

         We also teach about not being a bystander.  In the "bully triangle", you typically have the bully, the target and the bystander.  As the person watching it happen, you may be able to play a vital role in resolving the situation.  A bystander can assess the situation and decide how to help.  If it's safe to do so, they may intervene.  If not, they may be able to go and get help.     

       One of the most important things for a child to understand is that bullying must be reported.  But what if you can't avoid the bully and no one is around to help?  In the Academy, we teach a number of different strategies to deal with bullies.  We want to give our students various ways because, unfortunately, one strategy may not work in every situation or with every bully.  Below, you will see the different strategies we teach and how they can be implemented.  As a parent, the best thing you can do is to role-play scenarios and allow your child to practice the strategies.  Just like anything, the more they prepare, the more effective they will be in real life.  You can also download a copy of our "Bully Prevention Strategies" handout.