Back to school means anxious times for 25% of kids who have been bullied

As the back to school ads hit the airwaves, so too does the anxiety many school aged children feel about returning to class in September.

If your son or daughter has been the victim of bullying in the past, then going back to school also means coming to grips with the idea of being face to face with the child’s tormentor(s).

In a report released last week, CAMH, (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), revealed that one in every four Ontario students suffered being bullied at school since the beginning of the school year (which is estimated to be about 231,200 students).

This is not an issue that parents and schools can continue to ignore.

The Town of Newmarket Bulletin reached out to the York Region Anti-Bully Coalition, and its president, Karen Sebben, to ask what parents can do during the last few weeks of summer to prepare the students who have been bullied for going back to school.

Here is what she recommends:

• “From my own personal experience I found that getting my son to talk about his school day each night at the dinner table worked well. The world today is extremely fast paced and a parent must find the time to open the door for discussion on a regular basis, especially at the public school level. Most of these kids are embarrassed about telling mom and dad what happened to them for fear of being blamed or punished.”

• “Most importantly is having the parent emphasize that they are there for their child at any time of day no matter what and to reinforce the fact that it is not their child's fault that they have been targeted.”

• “Parents should also have a respectful and open dialogue with school staff and administrators especially if their kids have been bullied in the past. This is particularly important if the parent and child feel that the bullying might continue at the start of the new school year. Having a respectful relationship with school allows for all involved to have certain strategies in place to make that child feel safe and welcome when returning to school.”