What parents can do

Although no parent can ‘bully-proof’ a child, the risk of being bullied can be reduced by parents who are responsive to a child’s needs, employ an authoritative (not authoritarian) style of parenting and help their child to develop into a friendly and cooperative individual. If bullying occurs it is best be tackled by parents and teachers working together.

How parents can help

Parents can play an important part in a number of way.

Through reducing the risk that their children will be bullied through responsive and responsible, non-authoritarian parenting
Through helping their children to acquire good interpersonal skills, especially making friends and acting assertively when necessary.
In supporting their children if they do become involved in bully/victim difficulties at school and being prepared to share the problem and work collaboratively with the school to solve it.
In assisting schools as much as possible in the development of enlightened policies and practices to address the problem.

Increasingly, resources are becoming available to help parents who are concerned about bullying in schools

Help for Parents

The Guide for the Parents of young children published by the Crime Prevention Branch of the Australian Attorney General’s Department is freely available in Australia . You can make a free phone call to National Mailing and Marketing on 1800 708 777, request copies. and give your postal address. Alternatively it can be downloaded here (PDF)

People living elsewhere can request copies from:
The Crime Prevention Branch, Australian government Attorney General’s Department Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, BARTON, ACT, 2600.

During 2007 a much more comprehensive guide to bullying for parents and educators will be available from Blackwell Publishers in the United States:

Rigby, K (2007, in press) Children and bullying: How parents and educators can reduce bullying at school: Boston: Blackwell Press. Further information will be available on this site when it becomes available.