Bullies Hurt Themselves Too | Corona, CA

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Bullying is so prevalent that we often consider the victim when working towards a kinder society, but bullying impacts everyone involved, including the bullies themselves. Generally, bullies are often grappling with their own inner struggles, whereas happy individuals typically have no reason to bully others.

Consider this: with each act of bullying, perpetrators become increasingly desensitized to the suffering of their victims. They begin justifying their actions by convincing themselves that their targets somehow deserve mistreatment. Eventually, they adopt the belief that bullying is the only way to assert dominance. Consequently, bullies fail to develop crucial social skills like empathy, reciprocity, and negotiation – skills essential for fostering meaningful connections.

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Sibling Rivalry: When Healthy Competition Turns Harmful | Corona, CA

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When a new baby arrives, it’s natural for older siblings to feel a mix of emotions, including excitement, curiosity, and sometimes jealousy. While a bit of rivalry is expected, it’s important to recognize when it crosses the line into something more serious. New research suggests that aggression between siblings can cause psychological wounds as damaging as those caused by bullies at school.

Ordinary disagreements over toys or TV shows are common, but when these conflicts escalate into constant physical or verbal abuse, it becomes a cause for concern. Healthy competition can encourage growth and development, but when one child consistently becomes the victim of another’s aggression, it can lead to serious consequences.

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4 Ways to Encourage Kindness | Corona, CA

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Teaching our kids to be kind tends to begin by example. When you are kind to those around you, or your child is exposed to kindness, that is how they begin to understand what it is. They can see, hear, and often feel the energy kind words and actions emit, and ideally, begin to repeat those actions with their friends. Verbally communicating that your child should be kind, is much different than their experience of, and practice with it. Here are four ways you can encourage kindness in kids.

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Five Tips For Making Friends in the New School Year | Corona, CA

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Moving to a new place, entering a new school, or returning to school with a different mindset than you had from the year before can mean you’re in a position to make new friends. This can be an exciting prospect, or intimidating task depending on your desire and aptitude for it. Here are a fe things to keep in mind when trying to make new friends this school year.

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The Difference Between Harassment and Bullying | Corona, CA

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The difference between bullying and harassment is a thin line. They both revolve around power dynamics, control, harmful actions, and the perceived ability of the target to stop their experience. Yet, the things that differentiate bullying from harassment stem from the notion that the target its part of a “protected class” designation. Here are some things to be aware of when you consider whether what your child is experiencing is bullying or harassment.

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Bullying Prevention Begins With Developing High Self-Esteem | Corona, CA

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Building up your child’s self-esteem is paramount to bullying prevention. When we help our children recognize and feel proud of, their accomplishments, we help teach them their worth. Over time, we can help him or her recognize how their strengths contribute to those around them, teaching them in turn how to repay that support to their peers. When a child is so busy focusing on their skills and cultivating new ones, they don’t have time to be a bully to others- they are busy improving themselves! Here are some easy ways to begin building your child’s self-esteem:

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We All Need Good Friends To Lean On | Corona, CA

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What makes someone a good friend? When do we cross our own boundaries to help those around us? How do we effectively balance our needs with our desire to help someone we care about? These are difficult questions to answer for ourselves and in regard to the people in our lives. When considering these questions with a child in the context of their own lives, its important to retain the notion that their ability to comprehend complex situations is limited. To keep things simple while introducing the foundation of what it means to be a good friend, here are some simple things you can share:

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Your Child Can Help Prevent Bullying, Here’s How | Corona, CA

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Believe it or not, you can teach your child how to be an effective and empathetic support to their peers experiencing bullying. Here are five ways you can foster the notion within your child that he or she can be a champion for change and help prevent bullying.

  1. Communication starts in the home. Bullying can be a difficult topic to bring up with your child, but if you establish a foundation of trust with your child, they will be more likely to share their positive and negative experiences at school. When you make them feel safe and heard, they may begin to make their peers feel that way in kind.

2. Being a safe bystander. When children witness bullying, it can affect them too, even if they don’t directly engage in the situation. Help your child understand how he or she can help their classmate by offering to listen to their feelings or tell a teacher what’s going on, without getting directly involved.

3. Respond intentionally to conversations around bullying. When your child brings bullying to your attention, you can help them learn how they should respond, by being intentional with your response. Listen to him or her, ask questions that illicit a thoughtful response, and try to share how you feel he or she can act the next time they experience something similar.

4. Raise awareness. If your child is consistently sharing instances of bullying, share with him or her the ways they can safely take action, and reach out to adults closer to the situation to inform them of what you are being told. Raising awareness in your child about how to react, and within your community about the issue, is more likely to solve problems that prevent future bullying.

Visit StopBullying.gov for more helpful tips on how to prevent bullying, and have a great school year!

If you would like to learn more about bullying, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.