On my last post, I gave readers tips and links for parents to practice anti-bullying defenses at home with their teen. Now, I am giving you additional suggestions from Donna A. Henderson, Professor at Wake Forest’s Counseling Department:

• To find out what’s going on at school, and what types of situations your child may face, have your child describe events that he/she interprets as bullying.
• Who did what, what happened afterwards, what the school has said about bullying, and what to do when it happens.
• Next, talk about what works and what doesn’t in those situations. Ask your child whom he has seen handle the bullying well and who hasn’t responded appropriately.
• Come up with a 2 or 3 step reaction process that’s easy to remember. You might practice his/her defense.  
• Emphasize that an adult should know what happened and that this shared information is not “tattling.” Mind this is a tough conversation as teen want to protect their parents while proving they can handle their world by themselves.

If you have had any successful experiences with preparing your child at home for harassment at school, please post a comment.