Four Ways to Combat Mean Girls | Teen Counseling of Orlando

Very few young girls make it through elementary, middle, and high school without experiencing some kind of bullying. If only one girl in the entire school was being bullied, it would be too many. The trend of “mean girls” is on the rise. They may not kick, punch, or hit, but they know how to tear someone down with just a few sentences. There are ways that we can look out for each other, however. When we bolster those who are being picked on, the mean girls will have no one left to target. Here are four ways to combat mean girls.

1. Reach out. If someone is being bullied, they are often too embarrassed to approach an adult about it. If you think that your daughter or one of her friends might be a victim of mean girls in her school, sit down and talk to her about bullying. Create a safe environment for her to tell you about what happens in school and if she tells you something is happening, take real action.

2. Don’t be a bystander. If your daughter is not being bullied, chances are that she has seen someone else being bullied, either in person or over the Internet. Teach her not to stand by while someone else is being bullied, and if you see someone being bullied online, on social networks, every social network has a way to report bullying and get those accounts blocked.

3. Unplug. A lot of bullying goes on online these days. It’s easier, even for mild mannered children, to say something hurtful over the Internet, because it does not feel real or permanent. If you see bullying happening to your child online, unplug them. 

4. Forgive. Learning to forgive their bullies (even if they don’t deserve it), can feel impossible for young girls. Teach your daughter to understand that girls bully each other because they are broken and have been hurt by someone else. Extending forgiveness is often the only way to move forward.

It’s a parent’s job to watch for red flags and to take action if you see your child withdrawing from you and her friends, letting school slide, or avoiding school. Teach her what to do if she is being bullied and what to do if she sees someone else being bullied.  If you or someone you know if being bullied, call Life Counseling Solutions, Teen Counseling of Orlando. We have a team of counselors who can be reached at 407-622-1770.