Hearing that your child is being bullied can be heartbreaking – especially when it’s severe. If the bullying your child is experiencing escalates to being threatened or physically assaulted, you should involve the police to help resolve the situation.
Taking threats seriously
If a bully threatens your child, it should not be taken lightly. The bully may have said something threatening just to intimidate your child but it might also be a warning that they plan on carrying out that threat.
Not only could it lead to physical harm, the act of making a threat is against the law.
Act immediately to a physical attack
No one ever has the right to attack your child. When bullying becomes physical, it is time to act quickly and decisively before it happens again. Contacting the police will allow them to handle the situation and can be a strong deterrent for bullies to continue harming your child.
Damaging property
Vandalism, theft and destruction of property are all crimes, so don’t let it go unaddressed just because it was done by a bully. If your child is mysteriously losing or breaking personal belongings, ask them if it was caused by a bully.
Next steps
If you’ve determined that a bully has crossed the line and is committing crimes against your child, you should contact the school and make them aware of the situation. They may wish to contact the police on their own, or you may have to report the incident to the police yourself.
You can simply call your local police department and explain that you wish to sign a complaint against a juvenile who has been bullying your child and has broken the law in doing so.
It is important to act quickly so the bully does not get another chance to target your child. But most of all, your child will be looking to you for reassurance that everything is going to be okay. Let them know that the bully has been brought to the attention of the school and the police and that it will be taken care of.