What if your child is bullied at school?

The first happened to my friend's child. The kid was beaten up in the school bathroom and was forced to eat another kid’s boogers. The second happened at a school that is my wife’s former workplace when several female students physically attacked a fellow girl in their class.

Talking to the related parties, I tried to convince them that these issues could be resolved.

Nevertheless, I was quite concerned. I do not know what I would do if the victims were my children. Should I respect the law and follow the legal procedures? Or should I let loose and make a fuss out of the situation? How would I act if the other parents got defensive about their children? Do I even know the full story? Is my child’s version of the story truthful? How can I ensure my child’s safety, and potentially other children’s as well?

I am not the only concerned parent. There must be millions of parents sharing my thoughts who are confused, concerned, and attempting to find their own solutions. There are so many parties involved, the bully, the bullied, the witnesses, parents, teachers, and school administrators. Sometimes, parents get nasty and resort to illegal tactics, all of which can end badly for every related party.

Some are indifferent, don’t consider children’s issues serious, and are completely unaware of the potential repercussions.

From a scientific standpoint, Ms. Louise Aukland, a neuroscientist at Oxford University has sited research released by UNESCO in October that says one out of three students suffer from bullying at school monthly, and one out of five teenagers face mental health struggles. These figures are overwhelming. The children, instead of going to school to enjoy their youthful years with friendship and knowledge, are scarred and haunted by what some adults dub "children’s stuff."

It is never too late to start resolving such issues. Bullying at schools affects many people and society needs to build a code of conduct and resolution protocol that works for everyone.

Knowledge is important, students need to go to school for knowledge. But the knowledge might be less important than the health and wellbeing of our children.

*Tran Hung Thien is a Vietnamese businessman living in Australia.