What to Do When Someone Insults Your Child

Do you know what to do when someone insults your child? We'll give you the keys to be able to solve this situation the most appropriate way.

Many of us have faced insults and slights, but when someone insults your child, the situation becomes more complicated and you need to know how to deal with it.

Educating children about the importance of respect for other people is essential. And also, we should teach them that when they’re insulted or threatened by someone, they should immediately seek help to put an end to the problem.

An isolated insult may not be of much importance, but when insults are given repeatedly, they can damage the self-esteem of the person who receives them. Therefore, it’s important to contain and put a stop to this situation as soon as possible. In this article, we’re going to tell you how. Keep reading!

How should you act when someone insults your child?

When a child or adolescent receives insults repeatedly and constantly from other children, we can consider this to be a bullying situation. In these cases, it’s best to collect all the evidence before acting, and if possible, look for some witnesses. Then, we must inform the educational center, so that anti-bullying protocols are initiated that seek to solve the problem.

In most cases in which only insults are given, when adults intervene and the corresponding measures are taken (such as the expulsion of the aggressor), the problem tends to be solved.

What happens if the school does nothing to solve this situation?

If after notifying the proper authorities at the school, they do nothing, what you have to do is the following:

1. Keep a detailed record of every incident of bullying, as well as each time you’ve brought the subject up with the school. Also, make sure to take note of who you talk to.
2. Keep moving up the ladder of authority–the teacher, the principal, the superintendent, etc. Don’t stop insisting until you’re taken seriously.
3. If the center still does not take action, the school should be reported for failing to comply with the commitment to provide safety for its students.

On the other hand, when the school takes the pertinent measures but the situation remains unresolved, what parents must do is file a complaint against the minors who assault their child. From there, they must continue with the protocol indicated by the authorities to advance with the criminal procedure.

What to do if it’s an adult who insults your child?

This situation doesn’t occur frequently and no one expects an adult to insult a child but today, anything can happen.

No parent likes it when their child comes home with a complaint that they’ve been insulted by their peers, but when the aggression comes from an adult, it leaves us much more unsettled.

If your child tells us that an adult has insulted them, the first thing you have to do is listen to them. You must always be sure to listen, whether you’re child’s been insulted by a child or an older person. At the same time, you need to look for witnesses to find out exactly what was said.

In the case that the suspicion is corroborated, you must proceed appropriately. Here are some tips.

Stay calm

If someone insults your child, whether you’re present or not, it’s obvious that you’re going to feel angry. But above all, you must remain calm.

Even if the first thing that comes to mind is to return the insult, this won’t make you feel good later and definitely won’t be the best example to teach your children regarding how to proceed in the face of aggression.

Talk to the adult

When you’re calmer and able to reason, try talking to the adult who’s insulted your child.

If the insults have come from a stranger you’ve had the misfortune of running into, you can tell them that that comment was unnecessary, as well as inconsiderate. Then, you should leave the place for the sake of your child.

At the same time, if the person who’s insulted your child is someone with whom your child has more frequent interaction, sitting down and talking with them will be the best option. Especially if you weren’t present at the time of the event. You need to explain to them that their remark has hurt your child’s feelings and that the correct thing would be for them to apologize to your child and refrain from repeating the action.

Limit your child’s exposure to that adult

If even after talking to the adult, the insults continue, what you have to do is minimize your child’s exposure to the bully, no matter who it is. Ideally, make a plan with your child so that they’re never in the same place as the adult.

In addition to all this, it’s important to talk with the child and explain that what other people or children say or think isn’t always true. Also, that it’s not their fault that the aggressor isn’t able to control their impulses. Help them understand that insults are empty words that are intended to harm.

Conclusions regarding what to do when someone insults your child

When someone insults your child, be it an adult or a child, you must take action to solve this situation. Remember to always act calmly, without responding with more violence or putting yourself on the same level as the bully.

It’s totally normal for you to feel lost in the face of such an event, but the most important thing is that you seek help when you don’t know what you can do and what you can’t. Legal professionals will be able to explain the steps you must take to solve the situation as soon as possible.