With Bullying, What's a Parent to Do?

What to look for and how to help if your child is being victimized

November 23, 2012 RSS Feed Print

"We can help them work through a conflict," he said, "but bullying needs adult intervention."

Rauzi said it's also good to keep in mind that children and teens are pretty resilient. If the bullying stops and kids can re-establish their social networks, they probably won't have lasting damage from bullying.

Of course, that's not always the case. As Gardner said, "adults need to remember that bullying isn't just a case of 'kids will be kids.'"

Gardner pointed out that "there can be significant and life-threatening consequences when bullying occurs, and children need the support of their parents and school, and they need to intervene as soon as possible."

More information

Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center has more about bullying.

A companion article details one teen's stand against bullies.