Communication, a fundamental tool against bullying
Many children prefer shut up at home the problems of bullying and many parents do not know how to approach this topic with their children. And yet, communication is essential to end the scourge of bullying. This is what the Educo report entitled Violence against children. Do we know how to protect our children?
According to this work, the fundamental problem is the lack of communication in the homes. The difficulties in dealing with bullying at home it has two fundamental consequences: that parents do not understand the magnitude of these cases and that the children suffer in silence the bullying.
For parents, bullying is a thorny issue
Family communication is a pending issue in many homes. This report clarifies that around 32% of fathers and mothers say they can not find a time to talk with your children daily. This basic problem explains why the percentage of parents who do not deal with their children with an issue such as school harassment, which seems very thorny, is even greater.
Specifically, 54% of the parents participating in this study revealed that they have never seriously talked with your children about bullying. That is to say, more than half of the parents of this work have not sat down to know the day to day of the children in school and if they suffer some kind of bullying.
Lack of initiative against bullying
These data demonstrate a lack of attitude in the parents facing bullying. In fact, this study also reveals that 63% of parents think that it is the educational center that must put an end to these cases of bullying. Some numbers that indicate the lack of responsibility that adults assume in this type of events.
In fact, this lack of responsibility also moves to other issues such as the use that their children make of the internet. More than half of the parents participating in this survey see the network as a secure platform without too many risks for their children. This relaxation also becomes latent when more than 50% of adults have published pictures of minors in social networks.
In addition, this study also reveals that 43% have not talked about the internet risks with their children and that 79% of these parents are unaware of tools to control the use of the network by their children. Again, this lack of attitude and communication can lead to cyberbullying, harassment that is easier for victims to hide, especially if their parents understand the web as a safe place.
Be aware of the seriousness of school bullying
The solution in all these cases is to become aware of the gravity of these problems. Understand that bullying can be closer to our children than we think because they are victims, executioners or passive bystanders. The next step is to learn and train to know how to act in these situations or to prevent them by informing the children of what they should do if they suffer this violence.
Talking with the children should be a daily activity, both in simple issues and with bullying. Maintaining this link will encourage children to feel more confident when it comes to telling a problem to their parents. In addition, parents must always be alert to the use that minors make of the internet, a world that sometimes escapes the understanding of adults.
Be aware of the regulations in social networks, make the child understand that he must provide information to his parents about his activity and the internet and put children filters are some of the measures that must be taken in this regard.
Damián Montero
