Cruel peers: teach your child to defend himself against them

Cruel peers are part of the reality in which our children function. It is worth teaching the little ones how to defend themselves against

Cruel peers: teach your child to defend himself against them
Cruel peers: teach your child to defend himself against them

Cruel peers are part of the reality in which our children function. It is worth teaching the little ones how to defend themselves against them.

Cruel peers, bullying, bullying, and physical and psychological abuse are common problems our children experience. According to the statistics of the Institute of Educational Innovation, one in four students experiences various types of abuse at school.

This problem affects not only the child's relationship with peers, but also lowers his self-esteem and level of trust. Therefore, it is worth teaching a toddler that not all people are good and some suffer from emotional problems.

It's not about instilling paranoia in your child, but explaining the characteristics of toxic people who add nothing positive to our lives, only disappointments, frustrations, and unpleasant experiences.

Cruel peers: why is it worth defending against them?

You will find that teaching your child to defend himself against cruel peers will have many benefits as it will prepare him or her to confront violence at school and to cope with conflict situations. This will strengthen his autonomy and confidence.

It's obvious that you want to always be with your toddler and protect him from the dangers around him, but with time the child grows up and wants to control his own time and space and become independent from others.

The child should be ready to face adversities and be able to defend himself against cruel peers and know his worth.

Cruel peers: how to teach a child to defend himself against them?

Teach your child to resist attacks

In the case of bullying, it is always possible to establish a cause or a provocation that acts as bait for cruel children who like to hurt and attack the weaker. Unfortunately, this is a very effective strategy. To help your child, teach them to resist these types of attacks - you will equip them with an effective tool of defense for life.

You can use the following strategies for this:

  • Explain to your child the benefits of ignoring cruel comments made by other children. Their behavior reflects their internal landscape, that is, only a projection.
  • Teach your child to respond to attacks effectively, or suggest he walk away with his head held high as if he doesn't care.
  • Teach your toddler that avoiding violence is not the same as cowardly. However, it is an effective defense strategy when there is no point in going against the tide.
  • Explain to the child that cruel peers should be ignored. You can always move away or take refuge with colleagues. This is the bravest and most sensible way out of the situation.

Equip your child with emotional control techniques

It's possible that a child who teases your toddler needs a sense of power and attention. So he tries to upset others and upset them. When a potential victim yields to the attack and shows weakness, they are likely to be harassed more often.

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Therefore, it is better for the child not to show emotion in these situations. It is difficult and requires a lot of patience and practice. For this, you can propose some simple and effective strategies:

  • Practice patience and perseverance with your child. Offer him to count to 10 while keeping a straight face and breathing deeply.
  • Don't suggest an eye-for-eye strategy or respond to violence with violence - that's how you instill negative values. Teach empathy and understanding for other people's behavior.
  • Explain to the child the advantages of treating others as we would like to be treated ourselves. If a cruel colleague is treated in a friendly manner, they will become confused and will not know what is happening.

Encourage them to seek support

Another way to teach your child to protect themselves from bullying is to encourage them to avoid bullying, as bullying tends to hit vulnerable, insecure and weak children. Therefore, it is worth talking to the toddler and teaching him to look for support.

Tell your child that asking for help is not synonymous with weakness. This is an opportunity to self-criticize and identify your own weaknesses to solve your problems.

Put communication with your child first

The key to problem solving is good communication and dialogue between parents and children. The toddler should know that he can count on help, support and understanding from parents.

Children who are abused and abused often withdraw into themselves and do not talk to anyone about humiliation or threats. It is worth encouraging your child to communicate problems. Only then do we have a chance to help him.

Always let your child know that it has done well as soon as they tell you about unpleasant events. Let him know that expressing feelings and sharing events are desirable behavior.