Protecting Your Child from Bullying: Signs, Solutions, and the Role of Online Schools

Sending your child off to their first day of school can evoke an intense wave of emotions, from fear to protectiveness. Naturally, you hope that your child will be met with nothing but kindness and friendship from their classmates. It’s normal to worry, and sometimes, there’s the desire for them to stay little so you can keep them safe at home a little longer. Often, these feelings stem from our own school experiences and our awareness of bullying.

Given recent research on bullying, feeling concerned is completely understandable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one in five high school students have faced bullying at school, and in 2021, the CDC found that 42% of high school students have experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness to the point that it disrupted their normal activities—a statistic that has risen by 14% since 2011.

How to Protect Your Child from Being Bullied

Despite these alarming numbers, there are proactive steps you can take to help your child, whether you’re concerned about them being bullied, or you want to prevent bullying behavior. Children who are bullied might not speak up if they are worried about retaliation or feel embarrassed. As a parent, recognizing the signs is important, which may include:

• Stolen, lost, or damaged personal belongings
• Reluctance to go to school or ride the bus
• Changes in appetite
• Nightmares or trouble sleeping
• Withdrawal, moodiness, or changes in personality
• Sudden change in appearance
• Frequent complaints of headaches or stomachaches
• Change in online behavior, possibly due to cyberbullying
• Bullying others
• Unexplained physical injuries such as cuts, bruises, scratches, and broken bones

Starting a conversation can open a line of communication about bullying. If you think your child may be hesitant to talk about being bullied, you can try broaching the topic subtly and guiding the conversation, so it comes up naturally. You might ask about their day at school or whether the teacher has trouble with misbehavior in class. When the topic comes up, listen empathetically and encourage them to ask for help if they are being bullied.

If you do suspect your child is being bullied and you haven’t heard from the school, set up a time to speak with their teacher or principal so they are aware of the situation. Working together, you can create a plan to protect your child and others.

Online School: A Solution to Reduce Bullying

In some cases, however, meeting with your child’s school might not be enough to protect them, and you may need to consider transferring schools. If this happens, remember that you’re not alone and there are solutions available.

Many families have opted for online schools like the K12 program in response to bullying in traditional schools. In fact, a recent study showed that before enrolling in a K12-powered online school, 47% of students had experienced bullying[1], and 42% of parents chose K12 due to concerns about their child’s previous school environment[2].

Online school can be a supportive environment for students who have faced challenges like bullying. Anecia Carstensen’s experience is a testament to this. After enduring bullying in elementary and middle school, Anecia’s mental health and academic performance declined. Her parents searched for an alternative and chose to enroll her in Career Academy of Utah, an online charter school that is part of the K12 program. At Career Academy of Utah, bullying and safety are top priorities, and former bullying victims like Anecia receive support from the school counselor. This change significantly improved her happiness, and she began to form new friendships and improve academically.

Additionally, the K12 program offers parents an insider’s look into their child’s daily school experience. From Class Connect sessions with classmates to the K12 Zone, an interactive online campus, K12 students can safely interact with peers. The shift has been lifechanging for many K12 students, allowing them to focus on their schoolwork, hobbies, and extracurricular activities without fear of bullying.

How to Prevent Your Child from Engaging in Bullying Behavior

Teaching our children kindness and empathy is a crucial step in preventing bullying from the start. It can be hard to imagine that your child may engage in bullying or ignore it, but it happens. Preventing and stopping it involves fostering empathy through activities and discussions. Here are some ways to help:

• Educate your child about what bullying is and discuss the importance of being compassionate, inclusive, and respectful to others.
• Teach them what to do if they witness bullying behavior, which can include standing up for the victim, offering support, telling an adult, and questioning the bullying behavior.
• Encourage intentional acts of kindness by using the K12 Kindness Calendar any month of the year.
• Read books together and discuss the challenges the main character faced. Seeing situations from another perspective can foster empathy.
• Encourage caring for others by exploring age-appropriate community service opportunities together.
• Monitor the type of content they consume, including shows, movies, and social media.
• Get to know their friends.
• Be mindful of your own words and actions.
• Build their confidence by encouraging them to participate in activities they enjoy. This will help them make friends with similar interests.

While the concern of bullying looms large for many parents, it can be easy to get distracted by the busyness of the school year and miss opportunities to discuss this important topic. Given the statistics on bullying and mental health, it’s crucial to be vigilant and proactive in safeguarding our children. If your child is being bullied and their current educational setting is ineffective at stopping it, turning to an online school like K12 can be a transformative alternative. It not only offers a refuge from bullying, but also provides an accessible, personalized, and career-centric educational environment where your student can thrive academically and socially without fear. To learn more about K12-powered online schools, go to K12.com.

Check out more bullying prevention resources at the K12 Safety Center.

[1] K12, (2023) “Bullying Prevention Campaign.” Survey of Legal Guardians of students enrolled in K12-powered schools.

[2]  K12, (2022-2024) “Enrollment Satisfaction Survey.” Survey of Legal Guardians of students enrolled in K12-powered schools.