Talking to children and students about violent actions and bullying in schools can be a difficult conversation for parents to have.
Many Central Texas families have been forced to discuss these things with their children recently following the death of a Killeen middle school student earlier this month.
“Bullying is an issue that is just prevalent — it’s a daily encounter for many children" said Camella M. Jones, a licensed professional councilor and supervisor who’s worked with children across Texas for years.
She said some of the best ways to help your child following situations like this is to show them best practices on how to handle bullying if and when those moments happen.
She also suggests even role playing scenarios with them at home so they know what to do and how to respond.
While at home in comfortable environments, she suggests to talk to your child daily, one-on-one for at least five minutes a day.
“There’s research in parent-child interaction therapy that, speaking with your child on an individual basis as little as five minutes per day can be more impacting than having a whole evening with them where you’re multitasking and talking at them so to speak in the mist of what you’re doing," she said.
Ask them about their day and even ask them how they and their peers are handling the death of their fellow student.
She said these conversations can be times to recognize signs of struggle or even your student being scared.
“We need to make sure our children understand that our schools are generally safe, when you compare public acts of violence in the communities/schools — are rare," Jones said.
"It’s just that they get a lot of attention, so just reassuring our children that the schools have protocols, the teachers are trained and that they’re generally safe.”
KISD has faced scrutiny from parents and the community following their safety actions after Serenity’s death.
Jones wants to remind students that they can express concerns to any school staff member including lunch staff, custodians and teachers and while school counselors may be really busy in times like these, she recommends parents seek counseling for your student off campus.
