Anti-Bullying

With recent events coming to light with regards to Trenton Lehrkamp, I felt the need as a children's therapist to make a post. If you are unfamiliar with Trent's story, please feel free to click his name or conduct your own research.

Trenton Lehrkamp was bullied, hazed, tortured, and dropped off at the ER/left for dead last week. Several of his schoolmates were involved in this incident. While bullying is sadly not a new phenomenon, what remains is that it is a societal crisis. Our children are suffering and we as parents/caregivers/adults need to do more.

I am urging parents to please SPEAK with your children.

• Make sure they understand what it means to be a friend and who their real friends are.

• Make sure YOU know who their friends are and who the parents of their friends are.

• When your child is going to another household, be sure you are aware of where they will be and who they will be with.

• Educate your children on why bullying is wrong.

• If you think your child is being bullied, please speak with them and should they need additional help such as counseling or therapy, please do not hesitate to set these services up for them.

• If you notice your child being mean to others (even their own siblings), please talk with them about their behaviors and help them understand the impact of their words and their actions.

We need to do our part. Express, educate, ask questions. Don't only be an advocate for your child but teach them to be an advocate for themselves. In doing so, they can be models for other children to advocate for themselves as well. No--bullying is not a new phenomenon, and that is exactly why we need to make changes now.

While bullying is a topic I always speak with my clients about, over the next few weeks I will be addressing the importance of bully prevention and will also have my clients complete a Friends Form as well as an Anti-Bullying Contract. Please feel free to reach out to me via hopemortherapy@gmail.com if you would like a copy of either form.

Remember, hurt people hurt people. So let's do all that we can to treat others with love and respect.

Love More. Heal More. HopeMor.