Develop a bullying prevention program. If your child's school doesn't have a bullying awareness program, talk to your principal. You may be able to volunteer to organize one. Use the Stop Bullying Now website that is run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The department offers free webisodes, tips for parents and children, and even games to help the children in your area learn that bullying is not acceptable and that there will be consequences for such behavior.
Keep evidence. This will help when you go to talk to your child's teachers or even the police. Write down each instance of bullying. Include names, dates and what occurred. You'll also want to save any emails, pictures or letters.
Notify the proper authorities. Most schools have a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of violence or threatening language. Talk to your child's teacher first. The teacher will have a better perspective as to why the bullying is occurring. Prepare a plan of action with the teacher to stop the bullying. If the teacher refuses to take action or is even participating in it, talk to the principal. You might be embarrassed that you can't handle the problem on your own, but it is the school's responsibility to provide a safe learning environment, and the school probably already has policies and procedures in place.
Be calm. Your first reaction to bullying may be to fight back. You might want to have a meeting with the bully's parents or even teach your child how to fight. The bullies may be looking for a fight, so don't give them what they want; this will only make the problem worse. Let the proper authorities handle the situation. They are responsible for contacting the child's family. In rare instances, like cyberbullying, the school might not be able to help. In this case, write a nonconfrontational letter to the parents of the bully notifying them of the situation. Assure the child that it's not her fault and that you will work together to find solutions.
Take a stand against cyberbullying. A 2005 study called "Electronic Bullying Among School-Aged Children and Youth" took a look at the trend of cyberbullying. The study involved kids in grades 6 to 8 . The study found that 8 percent of the children had been cyberbullied. Cyberbullying is when a person is harassed in chat rooms, over email, through an instant messenger service or through a social networking site. That way, the bully can follow your child home. This can take the form of name-calling, rumor-spreading or even threats. Treat cyberbullying the way you would any other type of bullying. Report it to authorities, and save any evidence. The school can get involved if this takes place through the school's Internet connection. Your Internet service provider may also be able to find the identity of a cyberbully, depending on the severity of the threat.