OWN DEFENSE – Blog

Self defense is not just about being able to protect yourself when you are physically attacked. There are many ways you can be attacked and learning how to handle each situation will help your kid’s feel more confident. Bullying behavior may seem very minor when you hear in the media about kids bringing guns to school and doing drugs. It has been proven that bullying is an early form of aggression and violent behavior. It is this behavior that leads one in four bullies to perform criminal acts before the age of 30.
Many victims of bullying behavior are singled out because of they have different mental or emotional traits. Others are picked on because they are physically different or practice a different religion. A victim is typically shy, sensitive and insecure. Children who are bullied can be helped by learning some simple self defense techniques. The first thing you need to do as a parent is to listen to your child. The more you know about what is going on in their life, the better and sooner you will be able to identify if a bullying situation is occurring.
You should take any complaints about bullying seriously. Many children do not tell on bullies because they believe they are tattling. They are often ashamed of it like many victims of physical or verbal abuse. As a parent, you need to watch for the symptoms. You can teach your child about self defense sooner if you are able to recognize when your child starts changing their normal habits. Talk to the school if you suspect your child is being bullied. The sooner you alert your child’s caregivers about your concerns, the sooner they can help in putting a stop to it.
As a parent, the best way to teach your child self defense skills against bullying is to teach them confidence. A parent should show their children how to walk confidently and how to stay alert to what’s going on around them. You need to teach them to stand up for themselves when someone starts picking on them. Children learn by example. Teach your child the social skills he or she needs to make friends. A confident child with friends will feel less like a victim. And most importantly, talk to your child about bullying. It can happen at all different ages. Create an environment where your child will feel safe enough to come home and be able to talk to you about their problems.