Written by Iman Khraibani Sleiman
Flashback Time
“What a nerd!!!!” “ Hey, just copy my homework here” “ Please come on nerdy give me your copybook, I want to copy the answers”.
These sentences still resonate in my mind….
Tearful nights, sitting wondering why I wasn’t invited to the party here and there….
All these sorrowful moments carved a trace in my childhood memories, when I look back into school days…
Damn it, they were tough, challenging, cycles of ups and downs.
School early days were not heaven on Earth…
Counseling at schools
This took me back to the idea of counseling and how it is a necessity in school life and even during a child’s school days…
Imagine if I were equipped with the right tools and strategies to defend myself and deal with bullying and its horrible effects on ones’ emotional well-being? It would have saved me a lot of troubles I had to go through in silence….
Today, with my head up and high I can officially say I was gifted enough to deal with it and channel it as a positive energy to inspire and help other children deal with it…
Bullying Prevention
Children can benefit from bullying prevention programs at school and at an early age. Standing up for yourself is an essential skill for survival. Schools are supposed to prepare children for life. It is not all about academic success and knowledge retention… Recently, social emotional learning has proved its importance and irreplaceable value in our lives. Dealing with struggles, traumas, and sudden natural disasters in an effective way is a MUST.
Core of Bullying
So, let’s go back to bullying… What is bullying? And when do we consider it as a real issue?
Bullying is a repeated actions planned and done on purpose to a person or a group of people with an ultimate goal to hurt the person being bullied.
Tips on the Go
Here is a quick list of tips that can help children deal with bullying.
- Always be assertive and say “ No” or ‘Stop”
- Show that you agree with the bully
- Try to change the subject
- Thank the bully for anything he/she says.
- Ignore or simply walk away carelessly
- Tell an adult
- Try to stay distracted by listening to music, reading a book, or even writing in your journal.
- Pretend you can’t hear them or see them and continue your conversation with your friends.
One last point or even advice, you don’t have to handle all this on new your own. Always seek help and support either by sharing your worries with a trusted adult or a professional in the field.
I made it through and I believe and know that you can make it too!
