Tips for Motivating a Bullied Child

How to Offer Support and Encouragement to a Child Who Is Being Bullied

When it comes to friendships, my middle school years were the worst of my life. Girls were beginning to experiment with things they probably shouldn’t have known about at such a tender age, and puberty was making the situation worse. Most challenging was when, in seventh school, my closest buddy betrayed me and the rest of my circle of friends suddenly made me feel like the odd one out. Never accomplished anything that met their expectations of me. In front of my eyes, they would snicker and talk about me behind my back. Any time I tried a new hairdo or sat down at their lunch table, I was an instant target for ridicule.

Even now, I’m not quite sure why the females were so harsh to me. But I know that God was teaching me to trust Him in those formative years, and that He was my closest friend who would never fail me.

The victimization of others by bullies is a universal experience. But how can we motivate a youngster who is a part of our family or classroom? We’ll be discussing strategies for inspiring today’s youth who are not only targets of physical but also digital harassment in our effort to keep them engaged and productive in the face of this pervasive problem.

One, breathe new life into them with your words.

Children who are bullied often start to believe the cruel statements that are said about them. Unfortunately, they are vulnerable to identity problems if they absorb enough criticism and internalize it.

We have the power to breathe new life into them. We should applaud a kid when we observe them succeeding. As a middle schooler, I struggled socially, but my parents supported my passion for cheerleading. It provided me with a constructive distraction.

Character as well as behavior might be discussed.

“Your kindness is very amazing.”

Your confidence and resolve inspire me.

Amazingly, you never waver from your commitments.

We can encourage young people by helping them see the parts of their character where they are making progress.

As it says in Ephesians 4:29, “let no corrupting discourse come out of your lips, but only such as is good for building others up in accordance with their needs.”

Encourage them to seek God.

The hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” was one of my favorites when I was a kid. I sung it, but it wasn’t until 7th grade that I really got to feel its truth for myself.

We may direct young people to encouraging Bible passages. We can show them that God wants to hear about their pain and help them through it via prayer. A friend is someone we can depend on and share life’s ups and downs with. We might show them that Jesus Christ considers us His friends by explaining that He is with us at all times. The following are a few passages from the Bible that could be of assistance:

Since I have shared all I have learned from my Father with you, John 15:15 says, “I no longer call you slaves, for the servant does not know what his owner is doing; but I have called you friends.”

James 2:23, And the Scripture was fulfilled in him, saying, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness”; and he was given the name “friend of God.”

“A friend loves at all times,” it says in Proverbs 17:17, and “a brother is born for hardship.”

Third, let’s have a candid discussion about the bullying Jesus faced.

Jesus was the ultimate victim of ridicule and bad treatment. He was assaulted, humiliated, and spat on as He was led to the cross. Despite being surrounded by cruel people, Jesus never gave in to temptation. To make peace with us, He willingly took on the shame of bearing our sins.

We may direct a youngster to Jesus when he or she believes they are the only ones who have ever been bullied or rejected. We might also point out that even though Jesus committed no sins, He too was persecuted. It’s not always clear why youngsters are being picked on.

As it says in Isaiah 53:5, “But he was pierced for our trespasses, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Verse 29 of Matthew They ridiculed Him by genuflecting before Him and calling Him “King of the Jews” as they twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head.

After making fun of Him, they stripped him of the purple robe and replaced them with his own clothes (Mark 15:20). And He was taken out to be crucified.

Now the men who had Jesus in prison were making fun of Him and assaulting him (Luke 22:63).

Four, we may teach them to pray for the bully.

Ofttimes, our attackers are insecure people who have been the targets of bullying in the past. Teaching children to pray for and bless people who persecute them may have a positive impact on their own lives and on the lives of others around them.

By explaining that we represent Christ and may pray for the hearts of those who injure us to change, we are not teaching children to accept abuse. By admitting our own fallibility and the pain we’ve caused others, we may help children see that no one is perfect and that we’ve all been the bully at one point or another, whether it was to a brother or a friend.

It’s crucial that we teach our kids not to hold grudges or form snap judgments. Ultimately, our goal is to teach them to have the same compassionate perspective that Jesus did. That includes encouraging children to seek God’s forgiveness for the bullies, instructing them to treat others with kindness, and encouraging them to seek assistance from an adult they trust if they are being mistreated.

Luke 24:49, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Jesus commands.