Strong family ties can protect everyone

Once a year, my son's school discusses bullying. I am not sure how intense the program is (a brief flyer is sent home the week before), but I know that they cover the basics: How to recognize bullying behavior, how to protect yourself and how to protect others.

It's that last topic that I am really impressed with. I like how the school encourages students to stick up for each other and teaches the strength in having many voices say that they are not going to tolerate one person's behavior anymore. I am sure there are some immediate downsides to teaching children this tactic as some may be moved to try it in other circumstances, but overall, it really works.

And - taking it one step further - it is good to know that children who have strong family relationships are the ones who are most likely to intervene on someone else's behalf. It makes a lot of sense when you break it down: Strong family relationships lead to safe feelings of inclusion, and those who usually feel secure don't want to feel left out. They also don't want to witness exclusion for others.

The good news is that now that I've read all this, I can talk more with my son the next time bully awareness week pops up at his school. Hopefully, I will learn about how willing he is to intervene when he sees bullying behavior.

What does your school do to raise awareness around bullying behaviors? Tell me in the comments.