Under the Radar: How to get bullied children the help they need

If you have a child, chances are they will deal with bullying at some point -- but making sure your child gets the help they need is a struggle for many.

News 12 Staff

Nov 16, 2019, 12:56 AM

Updated 1,833 days ago

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If you have a child, chances are they will deal with bullying at some point -- but making sure your child gets the help they need is a struggle for many.
Gena Miller, attorney with Advocates for Children of New York, represents the families of bullied children. She says communication is key.
"Something that's a great idea to do is to ask your child targeted questions," says Miller. "Something that we know is bullying often happens when there's lots of student-to-student interaction, so pickup, drop-off lunch, recess, gym."
Miller says those targeted questions can narrow down when bullying is happening.
In a special Team 12 report, cases of bullying were found to be widely under-reported citywide. Miller says it is important to ask for a copy of any bullying report involving your child.
"Something we think is important is staff members report anything they suspect is bullying so that the school can do an investigation," says Miller. "Sometimes it can be difficult to tell what's happening in a social interaction, so it's good to report so the school can investigate it appropriately."
Miller adds that bullied students can be placed in individual support plans to help them address bullying. Once the plan is in place, it needs to describe what the student is experiencing and that is addresses what's behind the issue.
Complaints can be emailed to RespectForAll@schools.nyc.gov, by calling 311, or by utilizing the Department of Education's online portal.