How to protect your child from bullying at school

Bullying at school is, unfortunately, a reality for many children. How to react if your child is being bullied by classmates? Where to go and how to protect them?

The first thing to do is to report the situation to the school administration. It is important to talk to a teacher, psychologist or principal of the educational institution to find out what measures the school is ready to take. Educational institutions are obliged to provide a safe environment for their students, and they must respond to such cases. Experts advise not to postpone solving the problem and immediately discuss possible ways to eliminate bullying with the administration.

However, it is important to remember that the problem requires specific evidence. Therefore, it is necessary to record all cases of bullying: insults, threats or ridicule. Make notes with dates, times and detailed descriptions of the incidents. This data will help in the future to argue your claims and demands if the situation does not change.

If bullying continues or negatively affects the child's psycho-emotional state, it is important to seek help from professionals. A psychologist or psychotherapist can help cope with the effects of stress and offer methods for restoring the child's confidence. In addition, you can try to discuss the problem with the parents of other children with whom your child is in contact, as well as get support from friends or counselors.

The Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan also offers help. The department stated that resources are available for children that can help in the event of bullying. For example, through the online chat "Bala korgau" and by calling 111, you can get advice and support. There are also Psychological Support Centers in the country, where children are provided not only with psychological help, but also with medical, legal and social help. These resources are open around the clock, which allows them to quickly respond to any threats and help children in difficult times.

This academic year, the Ministry of Education has introduced a new course "Personal Safety", which is conducted in kindergartens, schools and colleges across the country. The lessons are aimed at making children aware of the importance of their safety and knowing how to protect themselves in various situations. These classes are held weekly and cover self-defense topics, which allows the child to learn to recognize threats and respond in a timely manner.

Some regions of the country are also testing the DosbolLIKE program, which is aimed at improving the psychological climate in educational institutions and supporting children in difficult situations. The program covers about 70 thousand students and more than 5 thousand teachers, and it is already actively working in 50 schools.

It is important to remember that if the school does not respond to complaints, you can always contact the local education departments. In extreme cases, when bullying is accompanied by threats or violence, it is worth filing a complaint with law enforcement agencies to protect the rights of the child.

Do not ignore alarm signals. If a child begins to avoid communication, becomes withdrawn or loses interest in studying, this may be a sign of bullying. Communicate with him, listen to him and take measures to keep him safe in the educational process.