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When you’re raising a foster child, it’s important for them to develop good friendships in school. Nowadays, however, bullying has become a real concern among children of all ages. Whether it’s in-person bullying or cyberbullying, the effect is the same. It really affects the self-esteem of the child, making them feel less confident in everything they do. And often, the child might end up feeling that it’s their fault, which prevents them from confiding in their foster parent. As a result, you may not always know that your foster child is being bullied. Here are some ways to deal with this issue:
Be Vigilant
As mentioned above, your foster child may not mention that they’re being bullied. So you need to keep your eyes open and look for any signs of bullying. Are they coming home with unexplained bruises or dirty clothes? Or do they just look unhappy all the time? Do they seem reluctant to go to school? Do they check Facebook constantly and appear to be depressed after doing so? Have there been any unexplained emotional scenes where you couldn’t figure out what was going on? These are things to look for.
Ask Questions
So what do you do if your foster child is displaying any of the above signs? The first thing, of course, is to ask them what’s going on. If they don’t seem to want to talk about it, you can even directly ask if they are being bullied, but do so in an understanding tone to let them know that you are on their side. If you can’t get anything out of the child but you are really worried, you can always speak to their teachers or take the child to a counselor.
Resolve the Situation
If it seems that your foster child is, in fact, being bullied, the next step should be to have a meeting with the parents of the child/children bullying them. It’s best to have a teacher or a counselor present so that people don’t get too angry or emotional. Once you’ve discussed it with other parents, wait for some time to see if the situation resolves itself. But don’t forget to be vigilant and keep the channels of communication open with your foster child.
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