An epidemic of school cultures is bullying. Many school-aged kids go to school, every day, facing threats, taunts, verbal and physical assaults. Bullying is unwanted and degrading attention by another classmate. It is important to talk to your kids to see if they are a bully, if they’re being bullied and how to prevent bullying. All information below is provided by StopBullying.gov:

Cyber bullying—Bullying that takes place online is cyber bullying, and it is the most prominent type of bullying today. If your children have social media profiles, ask them if they’ve received any unwanted interaction or negative comments.

Who’s at risk—There is no one single risk factor, but kids who identify themselves as LGBTQ, youth with disabilities and socially-isolated youth are more at-risk for bullying. Additionally, youth that are perceived to be underweight or overweight, have low self-esteem, or are perceived as less popular are at risk.

Bullying prevention—Teach your kids how to always stand up to bullying. Furthermore, get in touch with their teachers and school district leaders to become part of a bullying prevention coalition and action plan.