Alopecia and Bullying

Alopecia and Bullying

Is is bullying when a mom at the park tells her child “don’t play with her, she’s sick”, just because she’s bald? Is it bullying when 3 first graders laugh at their classmate and tell her “she’ll never get married,” because she’s bald? Is it bullying when a bunch of high schoolers laugh at their classmate when her wig fell off during lunch?  

These are all examples of social bullying as defined on StopBullying.gov website. It states bullying as, “unwanted aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.” Bullying behaviors don’t just happen in the classroom or the neighborhood, they also can happen online.     

Social Bella Fly Foundation has committed in helping with the bullying prevention. Recent survey from by the Youth Truth revealed 44% of the 80,000 interviewed students said they were bullied because of the way they looked.

If you suspect your child is being bullied, there are ways you can help. According to the StopBullying.gov website, here’s how you can prevent bullying.

Parents, school staff, and other caring adults have a role to play in preventing bullying. They can: 

• Help kids understand bullying. Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help.
• Keep the lines of communication open. Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns.
• Encourage kids to do what they love. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior.
• Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.

 For more information on preventing, responding to or getting bullying help, go to StopBullying.gov.