On the last Wednesday in February, Canadians from coast to coast wear pink shirts to take a stand against bullying. Though the focus of Pink Shirt Day is on school-aged children, it's important that we remember that we adults have a part to play in the stand against bullying. In order to play that part, we first need to know what we are up against.

The problem is that when it comes to resources for parents of younger children, a large portion of bullying awareness is geared toward caretakers of tweens and teenagers. And while some of the advice may apply, a lot of it doesn't transfer over. A kindergartener is an entirely different animal from a six-year-old, who is in turn very different from a tween. Younger children need your help articulating what’s going on with them.

A big part of what librarians do is connect people to the information they need. So on that note, we have gathered some resources you may find useful about the issue of bullying from the point of view of the parent of a younger child:

Prevnet.ca has an overview of what bullying and cyberbullying entail, the signs to look for, educational videos, and tip sheets. Their parent section has information of interest for caretakers of children in Pre-K all the way to adolescence. All their recommendations are research-based and reliable.

 

For parents of young children:

Guide for parents on bullying issues relating to young children

What parents of young children need to know

 

For parents with kids in Grade 1-4:

What parents of elementary-aged children need to know

 

I think my kid's being bullied. Now what?

A checklist guide of how to proceed if you think your child is being bullied

What kind of advice NOT to give your child on how to handle a bully

 

By Alice Flecha (Volunteer Blogger)