PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT IN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS FACED BY BULLIED STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS

Abstract

Parental experiences with bullying in Pakistan are a topic that has received very little attention. There is a knowledge gap on how parents perceive bullying that affects both academic research and the creation of programmes that effectively reduce bullying. In this study, data from responses to a series of open-ended questions on parents' perceptions of and experiences with bullying in the punjab city of Okara are presented. Parents self- reported their degree of worry about bullying, their opinions on the causes of bullying, the scope of bullying at their children's schools, and their approaches to talking to their kids about bullying. Findings show that the majority of

parents: 1) see bullying as a problem and are somewhat afraid of bullying harming their kid.2) re sure their child is

not informing them about every instance of bullying they encounter, and 3) are more than eager to speak with school administration when their children are being bullied. According to the findings, parents' concerns about bullying and its negative effects persist, and attempts to get kids to tell an adult about it don't always work. Greater parental participation with (and reinforcement of) bullying prevention techniques that kids learn in school will thus boost bullying prevention training. There is also discussion on the implications for research and policy.