Last week, we chatted with Latina parent and educator Dali Rivera. Dali is an anti-bullying coach and an expert in the prevention of bullying. We discussed all aspects of bullying including social, physical, verbal, and cyberbullying, and the importance of educating parents and creating a culture of anti-bullying at home and at school. We also talked about bullying as a result of culture, language, or accent. “It is real. Children can be bullied for being Latino, for speaking in Spanish, for having an accent.”
As an expert in the subject, Dali believes that when parents and children understand the impact of bullying acts, both for the bully and the child being bullied, this kind of behavior can be stopped, even controlled, and prevented!
On her website, Dali offers a bullying incident report template to help parents gather the info needed to submit an official complaint. She also believes it’s important that parents go through the proper channels when stating a complaint: teacher first. If that doesn’t help, then the parent should talk to the school officials followed by the district superintendent and finally the school board.
At the Diversity and Anti-bullying Academy, Dali offers workshops and a workbook called, Your Family’s Guide to Bullying Prevention 101.
Tips for parents if their child is being bullied:
- Tell them you love them
- Tell them it is not their fault
- Hear the full story before making a judgment
- Document the situation – download bullying report template at daliTalks.com
- Remove them from the environment, find new friends, other activities
- Ask for professional help if needed
Tips to raise confident, anti-bullying kids:
- Education is key! How not to bully others, how to help others if they see them bullying a friend, what to do if they are being bullied.
- Keep open communication.
- Explore areas of interest to the child and challenge them – art, sports, music, food.
- Model anti-bullying behavior at home.
Thank you, Dali!
