What Should I Do If My Child Is Being Bullied at School?

The three steps we teach our students

1. Report and seek help. The first action is always to tell a teacher, counsellor or principal. We teach children to speak up, keep track of what happened, and ask the adults in charge to step in.

2. Report again. If nothing changes, they go back and report again. Persistence takes courage. Asking for help is a strength, never a weakness, and every child deserves protection through the proper channels.

3. Protect yourself. Only when repeated reports have not worked, and a child is in danger, do they use what they have learned to stay safe and get away. Self-defence is the last option, never the first.

What taekwondo adds

• Courage: the strength to speak up and ask an adult for help.
• Patience: understanding that solutions take time and a plan.
• Judgment: knowing when, and how, to protect themselves.
• Confidence: standing tall, looking people in the eye and speaking clearly, practised every class.

We never want our students to start a fight. Every class begins and ends with a bow, and respect and self-control come before any technique.

How you can help at home

• Listen first. Stay calm, and thank your child for telling you.
• Write down what happened, when, where and who saw it.
• Contact the school, and follow up in writing if nothing changes.
• Tell our instructors, so we can support your child on the mat too.

Questions parents ask