Do you have an I.E.P. for your daughter? if not you will need to contact special school district and tell them you want your daughter evaluated for one. Do Not Give Up on this! You are the only advocate she has- this could get very stressfull- but don't give in- she has the right to a good education in a safe environment- no child left behind - this includes your daughter, too!!!!

Hello,
Well there are several approaches to the problem. First of all, you have to decide if the schools you are placing her in are ones that offer the environment she needs. It could be she needs a smaller environment and possibly a home-schooled environment. I always promote a child's mental well being over the schooled environment. We personally homeschool and love it. Of course, we have our good days and bad. But my daughter is NEVER bullied and she does not have to deal with social stresses daily. This is the trade off. When she was in school, she was too bullied and spit on. So of course as her parents we had to make sure what was best for her. And homeschooling just worked out for us. Just search your heart and remember there are several options:

1. Personal tutor
2. Homeschooling
3. Small private school environment
4. On-line schooling

Seek your options out and always PRAY!

Take the path less traveled and you end up with less headache :) This is what my father always told me and he was right! Good Luck

Hi Tracey,

We are sorry that your daughter is being treated this way at school. Unfortunately if the school does not have strict anti-bullying and anti-put down programs in place, they may not take these things seriously unless there is physical violence. We know that bullying gets progressively worse if it is not stopped. So what starts out as teasing or verbal abuse, can turn into something more violent if it continues to be ignored. Keep talking to the teachers and to her school counselor or school social worker. If you feel they are not doing anything to help, go to the principal or school administrator with your concerns.

One of the best things you can do for your daughter is to equip her with confidence and resilience. Encourage her to try activities or join in groups where she can meet other kids with whom she has things in common. Role play with her on how she can respond the next time a classmate is rude to her. Let her know that it is OK to talk about her feelings and to ask for help.

Our Hotline is available 24 hours every day to help parents and children of all ages. Your daughter may find our website for teenagers to be a source of support. Sometimes teens feel more comfortable talking to someone they don't know. From our website she can e-mail a counselor with any questions or concerns she may be having. We also have a website for parents. Both of these are listed below.

Please let us know if we can help you again. Best wishes to you and your daughter!

Sincerely,

Cynthia, Counselor
Boys Town National Hotline
1-800-448-3000
hotline@boystown.org
www.parenting.org
www.yourlifeyourvoice.org