Mom's Council: Dealing With the Bully Issue

Patch welcomes all moms (and dads) to join in the conversation in the forum each week, as we tackle a host of different timely and tough parenting and family issues. Just log on every Wednesday at 1 p.m.

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This Week's Topic: Teaching Children To Deal With Bullies

A recent spate of media stories around kids who've been victims of "cyber-bullying" and regular old "real-life" bullying have brought up questions over how to protect children from bullies, and what appropriate responses from schools and other authorities should be.

How do you teach or plan to teach your kids about how to handle being bullied, and how can we encourage our kids not to become bullies themselves? 

Jennifer Clark, age 39, has one son Brody who is two years old. She has lived in Babylon for two years.

Schools and everybody should be more proactive against any kind of bullying. It should be reported at the first incident and consequences for the actions of the "bully" as well as the bystanders who did nothing. These situations are leading to irreparable damages, suicide and families being torn apart. I am a mother of a non-aggressive child. I have encountered many, many aggressive children and many, many parents in denial! Since my son is on the receiving end of these bullies, maybe I take it a little personally. I understand that it's a stage and a form of frustration when a child becomes aggressive. I am a mom too and I have done my research. However, when it starts to become an excuse not to do anything when your child acts out, then I have a problem. I do try to teach my child to say "don't hit or push me" or whatever might apply to the situation.