How to Help Adolescents Deal With Teasing
- 1). Speak with your teenager about the incident. Ask him to go into detail about the teasing. Perhaps he will not want to tell you everything, but you need to make sure he is not being threatened physically. If that is the case, call his school immediately.
- 2). Give her the empathy she needs. Explain that you understand her hurt and pain. Don't brush it off and tell her to toughen up. Allow her to express her feelings without fear of you looking down on her.
- 3). Explain to your teenager why other children tease. Explain that the other person may not feel good about himself or is looking for attention. He is also going through emotional and physical changes in his life. Let your child know it is not his fault that he is being teased. Don't let your child blame himself for the teasing. Compliment him and let him know you are proud of him.
- 4). Teach your child how to look strong and confident. A confident person is less likely to be teased. Show your child how to stand up straight with her head held high. Teach her to look the teaser in the eye. Explain to your child that she is in control of her reactions. Teach your child a simple phrase to say to herself when she is getting teased, such as "I won't believe it!" This will help your child feel more confident.
- 5). Think of methods your teenager can use to handle the teasing. For instance, your child can simply walk away. Alternatively, you can suggest that he say something back to the teaser like "So?" if the teaser makes fun of his weight, for instance. The point is to let your teenager know he has control over the situation and does not have to put up with teasing. If your teenager is usually a confident person, tell him to turn the tormentor's words around. If the teaser makes fun of his glasses, tell him to say something like, "Thank you for noticing my glasses."
- 6). Teach your teenager visualization techniques to help her deal with hurtful teasing. Tell her to visualize a shield around herself. When the teaser says something mean, your child imagines the shield is protecting her from the harmful words. Other helpful images include imagining a ball that the words bounce off of, or the words as dust that she can dust off her shoulder.
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