What You Can Do If Your Child Fights At School
When a child fights at school, it can be an emotional shock for the parents. It can also make it difficult for teachers and classmates.
It not only endangers the physical and mental health of classmates, but also your child’s future personality and social skills.
You may feel it is your fault; that you have not raised your child properly. It can also feel almost impossible to do something about it yourself, as it happens when you are not around.
If a child fights at school, it often has to do with the child being very impulsive, or things not going well at home or at school. However, it can also happen if a child tries to imitate someone or tries to get attention.
If a child sees repeated aggression and interactions with screams and insults from his parents and in his environment when he or she grows up, the child will follow the same behavioral pattern himself or herself.
The same applies if the child sees a close family member treating other people badly and behaving violently and aggressively.
What can happen if my child fights at school?
The first thing that can happen if your child fights at school is that he or she can be attacked by other children. Your child pushes them over the limit of what they can tolerate, and then they can choose to deal with the problem on their own.
On the other hand, the school can also take drastic measures, perhaps as serious as suspension.
Your child’s peers can turn their backs on him. It can make him lonely and isolated, or he may choose to seek out the wrong people.
In the saddest cases, and what parents are most afraid of, the behavior grows so bad that the child is taken care of by the social services.
1. Communicate with your child
Talk to your child honestly and openly about what happened. Ask how you can help solve the problem. It is always important to keep an open communication with your child so that you know what her worries, problems, goals and dreams are.
If it is still at an early stage and the child is still young, a child psychologist can help modify your child’s behavior.
2. Get help from a therapist
If the behavior has already become a noticeable and established pattern, a specialist can help with the deeper aspects of the situation.
Sometimes children feel more comfortable talking to a stranger than to their parents. It can be a good way to come up with a solution faster.
3. Teach your child that violence does not solve problems
Do not teach your children to give back with the same coin if they are attacked. Remember that “violence breeds violence.” Try to develop your child’s ability to talk about things and handle stressful situations in the best way.
4. Be a good role model
Always show tolerance when you go somewhere with your children. It is important to be a good role model for how to act in difficult situations, whether it is in traffic or in a queue in the grocery store.
If you react violently and aggressively so that your children see it, they will learn that it is an acceptable defense mechanism. They will then later use the same behavior to solve their own problems.
5. Cultivate a healthy life based on respect
Finally, cultivate a healthy family life. Give your children the rewards they deserve without pampering them and try not to focus too much on material things. Cultivate love in your family and respect your children’s privacy so that you do not invade their privacy.
It is important to be aware of what your children are watching on TV and what video games they are playing. Studies have shown that violent video games can make children more aggressive.
In addition, you can encourage them to try a sport or activity that helps them burn some of the excess energy and get rid of stress. Martial arts, for example, can be a good and disciplining alternative.
