On Thursday, October 20th the Sespe English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) hosted a parent workshop entitled, “How you can support your child when they are bullied.” The presentation was put on by the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) and was facilitated by Lucia Gonzalez.

One of the key messages delivered by Gonzalez was that parents can support their child by educating them how to avoid being a victim. Gonzalez also noted the importance of frequently speaking with your children about what is happening at school. She added that it may be helpful to specifically ask your child what they worked on at school, who they hang out with, what they were happy about at school, and in what areas they were having problems. She also mentioned that it is crucial to teach children to communicate with parents and teachers when they are experiencing bullying or harassment. Gonzalez answered specific questions from parents and discussed how families and schools should work together to address bullying issues.

The workshop was attended by over 50 Sespe parents. Bullying is an issue at all schools and nearly every child is bullied at some point in their schooling years. The more communication that takes place between families, teachers, and schools the quicker we can address this difficult issue. The next parent workshop, Building Children’s Self-Esteem, will take place in the Sespe Cafeteria (on Orchard Street) on Thursday, November 17th from 8:30-9:30. All parents and community members are welcome.