SCHOOL & FRIENDSHIPS
What Should I Do If My Child Is Being Bullied?
A practical plan for listening, documenting bullying, working with the school, protecting safety, and knowing when to escalate.
Listen first and check immediate safety
Begin privately and thank your child for telling you: “This is not your fault, and you do not have to handle it alone.” Ask what happened, where and when, whether it happened before, who witnessed it, what feels unsafe now, and what the child thinks might help.
Children may hesitate because they fear retaliation, feel embarrassed, or worry adults will judge them. Ask directly about safety at school, on the bus, at activities, and online, including threats, injuries, stalking, extortion, sexual content, weapons, or hate-motivated behavior.
Create a plan with the child and responsible adults
Write down dates, locations, descriptions, witnesses, and what was reported. Preserve harmful online messages without responding or forwarding them. Contact the teacher, counselor, coach, program leader, or principal and ask for a concrete plan, a safe reporting method, and a follow-up date.
Keep the child involved. Do not tell them to ignore ongoing bullying, blame them, encourage fighting, or directly confront the other family. Practice a simple response only when safe: use a firm voice, move toward a safe place, and tell a trusted adult.
- Name one safe adult
- Increase supervision where incidents occur
- Choose a reporting method
- Block and report harmful accounts
- Set a follow-up date
Follow through and escalate when needed
Bullying may not stop after one report. Keep checking in, document new incidents, and ask specific questions. Support friendships and activities where the child feels accepted. Contact a pediatrician, counselor, or mental-health professional when bullying affects sleep, health, mood, attendance, learning, relationships, or daily life.
Do not wait through the ordinary school process when safety is urgent. Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger or a crime may be occurring. If a child talks about suicide, self-harm, hopelessness, or being unable to stay safe, call or text 988 in the United States for immediate crisis support.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
A simple plan to begin
- Listen and state that it is not the child’s fault
- Check immediate physical and emotional safety
- Document and report incidents
- Create a plan with a safe adult and follow-up date
- Keep checking in and escalate when safety or wellbeing requires it
COMMON QUESTIONS
Helpful answers before you go
Should I contact the other child’s parents?
Usually not. StopBullying.gov advises caregivers to resist that urge because direct contact may make things worse. Ask the responsible school or organization to communicate between families.
Should I tell my child to ignore it or fight back?
No. Help the child practice a calm statement, move toward safety, and report it to a trusted adult. Fighting can lead to injury or discipline.
What should I do about cyberbullying?
Do not respond or forward harmful messages. Preserve evidence, block and report the account, and notify the school when classmates are involved. Contact law enforcement for threats, stalking, extortion, sexual images, or other potentially illegal conduct.
TRUSTED SOURCES
Official guidance and product information
- StopBullying.gov: Support the children involved
- HealthyChildren.org: What parents can do about bullying
- StopBullying.gov: Get help now
Product specifications can change. Confirm current details with the manufacturer before buying.
Was this useful? Explore another straightforward answer.
Browse all guides →