How does your kid handle bullying?

On Sunday June 12, 2011 Dateline NBC aired a special on bullying.  Students were unknowingly put in situations where someone around them was being bullied as there parents sat in another room and watched via hidden cameras.  All parents were hopeful that their children would respond in an appropriate way, but had to anxiously await the reality of how their child would respond, impromptu, in a bullying scenario.

Overall, the students responded as typical bystanders do.  Many of them ignored the situation, some tried to redirect the bullies by changing the subject or shifting gears, some joined the bullies in their antagonizing, but few spoke up on their own.  One child, out of dozens, truly spoke up and spoke out against the bully.  A handful gingerly tried to be nice to the person being bullied and then others followed suit, but most admitted it was uncomfortable and they were not sure what to do.

As a parent it can be difficult to know how to properly address this at home.  Many parents don’t have the answers.  If you are not sure that your child knows how to stand up to bullies, or how to keep from being a bystander or a promoter, ask Mr. Mojo.  Mr. Mojo’s No Bullying Tour will address all of these issues.  Encourage your child’s school to host Mr. Mojo that your student and their classmates know how to put an end to bullying in their school.