Resources for Supporting Your Child Experiencing Bullying

Dear Parent or Guardian,

First, take a deep breath. This is not your fault, and it’s not your child’s fault. Bullying can cause real pain - emotionally, socially, and even physically - but your child can recover and regain confidence with care and support.

We’re reaching out because your child shared something through Alongside that suggested they may be experiencing bullying at school, online, or in another setting.

You can view the flagged message in your Parent Dashboard.If you believe your child is in immediate danger, please call 911 or contact your school administrator or counselor right away. If your child is struggling emotionally, you can also call or text 988 for 24/7 confidential support.

– The Alongside Team

Call 988 to connect with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, for information on how to support your child and to learn about resources in your area. In addition, please encourage your child to reach out to 988 for confidential 24/7 support.

5 Ways to Support Your Child Who is Being Bullied

1. Ensure safety first

Bullying can take many forms — physical, verbal, social, or digital — and may include harassment based on race, gender, disability, or identity.

If your child has been physically harmed, threatened, or is unsafe:

  • Contact your child’s school immediately to report the incident.
  • If the threat involves physical violence or sexual harassment, notify law enforcement.
  • Document evidence: save messages, screenshots, or photos of injuries.
  • Make a plan for safety at school and online.

Safety comes before discipline or problem-solving. Your child needs to know you’ll keep them safe.

2. Listen and validate

When a child shares that they are being bullied, your calm, non-judgmental response matters most.

Say things like:

  • “I’m so sorry this is happening to you.”
  • “You don’t deserve to be treated this way.”
  • “Thank you for telling me — I know that took courage.”
  • “We’re going to figure this out together.”

Avoid:

  • “Just ignore them.” (minimizes harm)
  • “What did you do to make them mad?” (blame)
  • “Everyone gets teased.” (normalizes abuse)

Children often fear telling adults because they worry it will make things worse. Reassure them that you’ll take their lead while still acting to protect them.

3. Understand what bullying can look like

Bullying can be repeated, intentional behavior that causes harm or distress and involves a power imbalance.

Examples include:

  • Physical: hitting, shoving, tripping, damaging belongings
  • Verbal: teasing, name-calling, threats
  • Social/Relational: spreading rumors, excluding someone, public humiliation
  • Cyberbullying: sending mean messages, sharing private photos, impersonating online

Bullying may be motivated by bias — such as race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion — which schools are legally required to address under civil rights laws.

4. Take action and collaborate with the school

You don’t have to solve this alone. Schools have procedures for addressing bullying under state and federal law.

Steps to take:

  1. Report the bullying in writing to your child’s teacher, counselor, and principal.
  2. Request a meeting to discuss what’s happening and to create a safety plan (adjust seating, class changes, monitoring, check-ins).
  3. Ask for follow-up documentation of the school’s response.
  4. If the bullying is severe, persistent, or related to identity, ask for the contact information of the district’s Title IX Coordinator or civil rights office.
  5. Encourage your child not to retaliate — their safety and well-being come first.

If the bullying happens online, report the content to the platform and block the perpetrator’s account.

5. Support your child’s confidence and coping

Bullying can deeply impact self-esteem and trust. Help your child rebuild strength and belonging by:

  • Keeping daily routines stable (sleep, meals, structure).
  • Encouraging positive peer connections — clubs, activities, or safe friend groups.
  • Highlighting their strengths (“You’re brave for speaking up.”).
  • Modeling healthy boundaries and calm conflict resolution.
  • Connecting them to counseling for extra support (school counselor or therapist).

Reinforce that the problem lies with the bully’s behavior — not with who your child is.

Additional Resources

911 — Emergency Response
‍
Call if your child or another person is in immediate danger.

‍988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
‍
Call or text 988 for confidential emotional support for anyone experiencing distress related to bullying or harassment.

‍StopBullying.gov
Federal resource hub with information on prevention, intervention, and reporting.
www.stopbullying.gov

‍PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center
‍
Offers tools and guides for families, educators, and students.
www.pacer.org/bullying

‍The Trevor Project
‍
Support for LGBTQ youth experiencing bullying or identity-based harassment.
Call 1-866-488-7386 or text 678-678 for 24/7 help.
www.thetrevorproject.org

‍Child Mind Institute
 Guidance for parents on helping kids recover from bullying and social trauma.
‍www.childmind.org/topics/concerns/bullying