Hearing that your son is being bullied at school must have been heartbreaking for you. It must be even more difficult to hear that your son has been keeping this inside and feeling afraid to tell anyone about it. Be sure to give your son lots of praise for telling you about it. I'm sure that wasn't easy for him to admit.

There are a few different possible ways to approach this situation. What type of bullying is your son experiencing? Is he being verbally or physically bullied? If he is being physically hurt I would suggest you, as the parent, talk to school administration immediately. If the bully is calling your son names or making fun of him, have your son try a few techniques such as making one comment back to the bully like "I know" or "no comment," or simply ignoring the bully. Is he forced to sit next to the bully at lunch because of a seating chart? Can he ask the teacher to sit at a different table? If your son is getting food taken away from him at lunch he needs to get a teacher or lunchroom monitor involved.

Your son has the right to eat lunch in a positive environment everyday. If he feels like he has tried to deal with the bully himself, and it isn't working, encourage him to talk to his teacher or school counselor about it. If he doesn't feel comfortable doing that, you should speak to his teacher about what's going on. You can even explain to them that he was scared to talk to someone about it and ask them if they could keep an eye out for bullying in the lunch room without making a big scene.

Bullying often takes a toll on a youth's self esteem. Take some time to talk to your son about his worth. Remind him that bullies are usually insecure and have to make other people feel bad to make themselves feel better. Tell him that by staying strong and remembering all the good things about himself, he is showing the bully that he isn't bothered by his words or actions. If the bully doesn't think he has any power over your son he is less likely to bully him.

Boys Town National Hotline
1-800-448-3000