My son was bullied at school and it was such a hard thing to watch him experience and go through.
He did get through it though, and I see a strength in him now that wasn't there before.
As with some of the other suggestions posted, I approached the school, encouraged him to be assertive and to set boundaries with other students. I also encouraged him to tell the teachers what was happening.
To help him, I chose to focus on building his self-esteem. He was enrolled in Martial arts and taught how to defend himself against bullies. His instructor was fabulous - one of those really down to earth, no nonsense, practical guys that had a knack for making the kids feel good about themselves. He was always saying things like, 'let me see that superstar kick of your's, You're a legend, that's awesome'.
Interestingly, when the kids could improve on something, he also pointed that out to them, but again, it was done in a really positive way eg. if a kick was to low, he'd say something like, 'What was that, are you fighting a munchkin or something?' His tone would be exaggerated and funny and the kids would laugh and be like, 'Nooo' and then try harder with their next kick.
His confidence has come on in leaps and bounds and now, if someone is giving him grief, he speaks up for himself and doesn't let it impact him. He seems to understand that its issues the bullies have and that they are only trying to make themselves feel better by treating him poorly.
If I was to offer a suggestion to other parents who had children being bullied, I would definately encourage them to find something that your child can do that gives them a sense of pride and accompishment and makes them feel good about who they are, because that may help counteract the really negative words and actions of others.
