A psychologist told about actions in case of bullying against a child

Bullying causes enormous damage to a person's emotional and mental state, said Elena Mazankina, director of the Center for Psychology at SamSMU and a market expert of the National Technological Initiative (NTI) HealthNet ("HealthNet"). She told Izvestia that parents whose child has suffered in this situation should remind him that it is not his fault and give him the opportunity to express his feelings.

Bullying is understood as the systematic and deliberate infliction of harm on a person, which can manifest itself in various forms. According to the psychologist, bullying can be physical (pushing, hitting), verbal (insults, taunts), social (gossip, isolation), psychological (intimidation, blackmail) and even virtual - it is called cyberbullying (insult, harassment through social networks).

"All these forms of bullying cause enormous damage to a person's emotional and mental state, causing feelings of helplessness, loneliness and depression. If a child has experienced bullying, it is important to remind them that it is not their fault. People who offend others may experience difficulties themselves and do not know how to cope with them," Mazankina noted.

In addition, the specialist added that it is necessary to help the child to express his feelings, to listen to what he feels and what exactly he cares about. You should not blame him for what happened. At the same time, it is worth asking if he or she needs help, but also to clarify what kind of help he or she needs and to help him or her find ways out of the situation.

If the bullying continues, you should contact a teacher or school psychologist. Their role is to help with conflicts. If even this does not help, you should try to contact specialized organizations that regulate the work of educational institutions, the expert advised.

"Anyone can become a victim of bullying, but certain characteristics and personality traits can make people more vulnerable. It can be people with low self-esteem, acute perception of criticism, who have difficulties in communication and do not have strong social ties. It can also be people who stand out from the crowd by their appearance or who are highly empathic and kind," the psychologist explained.

Earlier, on October 27, mathematics teacher and founder of the online school "Point of Knowledge" Andrei Sheludko told "Izvestia" that in a conflict between children parents should intervene in the situation and be on the side of the child. At the same time, it is not necessary to justify the deed of a child who made a mistake. However, it is worth trying to understand the actions of a schoolchild, calmly explain to him exactly what he is wrong about and discuss how he should behave in the future.