Bullies are everywhere, including in schools and neighborhoods....
Bullies are everywhere, including in schools and neighborhoods.An autistic child has a greater risk of being bullied because of their inability to properly interact with their peers.As a parent, it is normal to get emotional when you realize your child is facing any kind of harassment.However, there are more insightful ways to stop the bullying of an autistic child and help them get over it.Talking to them is an excellent way to save your autistic child from abuse.Autism makes it hard for the child to notice when their peers are harassing them.Your responsibility as a parent is to support your autistic child by teaching them how their peers should treat them.Schools usually frown at bullying, so it is essential to report any case of harassment to your child's school teacher.It is usually effective because bullies are more prominent in schools, and teachers are in the right place to teach or correct bullies.Also, it is essential to document details of the harassment.These records would help when you report to school teachers or appropriate authorities that can intervene in the situation.Papers also serve as a guide to present information about the violence without being emotional.Continue reading to learn practical ways to stop the bullying of an autistic child:
It is essential to talk to your autistic child frequently.Talking to them helps them open up to you on various issues, including how their peers treat them.You can know from your conversations with your child when they experience harassment in school.Having difficult discussions about violence is an effective way to stop the bullying of an autistic child.Autism might impair the ability of your child to understand the appropriate way to relate with their peers.Hence, conversations about violence would help teach your child the good and bad ways their peers should treat them.Furthermore, you should endeavor to avoid accusing your child when listening to their story about violence.When your child tells you about being physically or verbally abused, it is vital to make them feel protected by not accusing them.There is a possibility that your child is battling anxieties and depression due to the bullying, and judging them might make them more anxious or depressed.Similarly, honest and safe conversations with your autistic child increase their confidence which would help them deal with abusers better.Instead of crying or acting defeated, they can stand their ground and confront the bullies.
Teachers play a vital role in managing classroom violence and have the capacity to stop the bullying of an autistic child.Likewise, the school teacher is usually the first individual to notice an abusive episode in school, so they have proper knowledge, which makes them conversant with violent activities in the school.Also, teachers usually have significant control over their students, so they can easily curb physical violence among them by leading by example and teaching them to treat one another appropriately.They can also introduce stories or books against physical violence to their students.Similarly, teachers can quickly understand the root cause of violence due to their proximity to the students.It puts them in a good position to curb abuse by preventing it from happening.For instance, if the sitting arrangement in class causes violence, the teacher can immediately curb it by rearranging the students.In addition, teachers serve as a middleman between the parents and the school authorities.If, after reporting cases of violence to the school teacher, it continues, the teacher can direct you to the relevant personnel in the school for disciplining bullies.
It is normal to be emotional when you discover your child is being bullied.However, acting based on emotions is not the best way to stop the bullying of an autistic child.When your child opens up to you about bullies, it is essential first to take notes of the situation and gather as many facts as possible.It helps you take practical steps to manage the situation without being emotional.Record keeping is essential when reporting a case of bullying because it serves as evidence of facts leading to or surrounding a case of bullying.Also, record keeping guides you in monitoring the pattern of the harassment by noting the method and frequency of the bullying occurrence.You can take good records of bullying by creating a file solely for that purpose.Inside the file, you can document all available facts, including what your child told you, the people involved, the date and time of every event surrounding the situation, pictorial evidence or screenshots, and the people you told.After proper documentation of the events, it is advisable to keep the file safe and accessible.It would help to keep the file with the school records so it can be easily accessible by the relevant authorities.Also, you can keep an electronic file version in case of a fire incident.
It is advisable for parents to know their rights when their child is experiencing an attack from violent persons.Bullying is a form of violence, and every sane society has laws against violence.It is important to know and exercise your rights to stop the bullying of an autistic child.Your autistic child may not be able to fight for their rights, so the responsibility shifts to you as a parent to fight on their behalf.Children with autism have a disability, and there are usually laws on how to treat children with disability.It would help to start your research by knowing the rules and rights that apply to a child with a disability.Furthermore, if bullying occurs in the school, it is essential to know its policies on bullying. Bullying policies vary from school to school.These policies might be in the school handbooks or websites and usually includes disciplinary actions against bullies.Similarly, if bullying occurs in the neighborhood, you can check for the state and federal laws on bullying.When an autistic child is involved, federal and state laws usually classify bullying as harassment due to their disability.Parents usually have actionable rights when their autistic child is a target of violence.
Your autistic child requires a lot of emotional support to cope with autism, and they need more support when experiencing an attack from violent persons.Autistic children may find it hard to talk about abuse.You can effectively help to stop the bullying of an autistic child by providing proper mental support.It is vital to make your child know you are with them in the situation, and their situation affects you as it affects them.Providing a solution to bullying is usually stressful and may distract you from looking after your child's mental needs.However, paying attention to your child's emotions and providing adeqautismuate support while finding a solution is advisable.You can start by helping your child recognize their emotions.For instance, if your child feels ashamed because of the turn of events, you can simplify the feeling by watching a movie where the main character is in a similar situation and asking them if they feel like that.After establishing their feelings, it would help explain why they do not need to feel that way.It would also help to explain to them that it is not their fault and the only people that need to feel shame are the bullies.
Parenting an autistic child is not a walk in the park.As a parent of an autistic child, it is essential to intentionally parent your child and provide the necessary support for autism.You can stop the bullying of an autistic child by conversing with them, reporting abusers to their school teacher, recording violent activities, knowing your rights about bullying, and providing emotional help for your child.
https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/asd-child-bullied/
https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/7-steps-take-stand-against-bullying
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01830/full
https://www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/advocacy-for-self/know-your-rights/
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, and owner of Overcomers Counseling. I'm dedicated to helping individuals find strength and healing through life’s challenges. With a deep understanding of mental health and years of professional experience, I specialize in fostering hope and resilience while equipping her clients with tools to thrive. Passionate about empowering others, she creates a safe, supportive space where everyone feels seen, valued, and capable of overcoming obstacles on their path to well-being.
