For weeks you notice that your child has been more withdrawn than usual. He or she barely sees friends anymore outside of school, and also seems to be “feeling sick” much more frequently, just to get out of going to class. After incessant probing, your child finally admits to you that a group of the “popular” students has been taunting him or her. It started with name-calling about some arbitrary trait, but then other students joined in and the teasing intensified. Kids even started spitting on him or her. Your child’s only allies have decided it was safer to stop being friends, leaving your baby to stand alone against this blatant bullying.

As a parent, what do you do?

Dealing with bullying is a delicate and complex procedure. The Not In Our School (NIOS) Parent Guide for Preventing and Addressing Bullying and Intolerance [1] highlights what you—as a parent—should do when your child is a victim of bullying. Acting rashly or not acting at all will do nothing to help your child, and this guide gives concrete and specific ideas on the best way to approach a very sensitive situation.