Tips on what parents can do to contribute in eliminating school violence

Bullying, threatening, and other acts of violence in school that disrupts the normal school atmosphere and impedes the learning development of a child is known as school violence.  Steps must be taken to prevent or eliminate the problem of school violence.  Here are some tips on can achieve such thing:

·         Atmosphere at home – it is essential that parents provide the ideal environment at home to their children.  A calm, serene and healthy environment at home provides children with a good atmosphere that encourages positive growth and development.

·         Seek help from professionals – psychiatrists and counselors are trained specifically to handle sensitive issues like child violence.  It is always a good choice that parents seek help from these professionals as they will be able to provide the proper guidance and correct advice on how to correct such violent attitude.

·         Provide the right amount of love and affection – Parents should always provide proper care, affection and love to their children.  This way, a child feels safe and secure and that they also develop this kind of positive attitude.  That is the reason why parents are discouraged fight in front of their children or do any kind of violent activity while with their children.

·         Be aware of a child’s daily routine – It is encouraged that parents should keep an eye on their children.  This way, they get to know a child’s daily routine and they will be able to spot any kind of suspicious behavior before it gets worse.  A child’s daily routine normally includes the type of games they play, the circle of friends they choose to go with and even their choice of hobbies.

·         Friends – Parents should be aware of what kind of friends does their children have.  If a child hangs out with friends that have violent attitude, they also develop such.  It is wise to let them know that these kinds of friends are not of good influence and that they should avoid befriending them.

·         Media – As with us adults, any form of media is important in our way of life.  Children tend to develop violent attitude from regularly watching TV shows, films, and even cartoons that have violent content.  Kids tend to imitate what they watch and this is specifically true for violence.

·         Spend some time with the kids – Parents should always spend some time with their children, even if it’s just a couple of minutes a day or about 2 hours every week.  This way, parents are able to know their children well and if they are experiencing some problems parents will be able to extend a helping hand.

·         Meeting with the teachers – Regular meeting with teachers should always be done by parents as this helps them to be updated on the current status of their children.  This also gives them a chance to try to correct or guide their children properly in case they are experiencing some problems.  The school administration regularly set up parent –teachers meeting for the sake of giving the students a brighter future.

·         Never compare – kids are unique and very different from each other.  Never ever compare your child to another kid as this gives them a feeling of rejection, disappointment and stress.  Such negative feelings often lead to violent acts.

·         Establish a friendly relationship with your kids – It is also advisable that parents should sometimes behave as their child’s friend.  Children are more open to their friends than their parents, that is why by being their kids friend they are able to make their children open up to them regarding issues that they would normally hide.

Since a child’s first school is their home, it is just important that the first steps taken to prevent school violence is done at home.