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How to get my parents to stand up for me against bullies instead of apologizing to avoid any confrontation?

82 Answers
Last Updated: 10/07/2021 at 8:06am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Evelyn Coker, MSW, LCSW

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

I am down to earth and enjoy working with all clients. I have a special passion to support teen girls and women. My work is nonjudgmental and provides a safe space to grow.

Top Rated Answers
Flawlessinsanity21
June 30th, 2016 6:13pm
Talk to them. Sit down and have a serious talk with them about how you're feeling and how their simple apologies make you feel. Tell them you want them to stand up for you and have your back. Just tell them what you're feeling.
Anonymous
July 10th, 2016 7:41am
Well, you should respectfully and calmly tell your parents how you feel. Instead of saying, “You never listen to me!” or “You’re a weakling!” or “You never face problems!” or “You’re not brave enough!” you should try not to focus on saying you so much and saying what they did wrong. Keep saying I and me and tell them what they can do right. For example, say, “My feelings are hurt about the bully, and I think that you should tell the bullies’ parents about this. This is a problem that is bothering me and I think I might need your help. Can you take calm, nonphysical action?” Try to keep it kind and personal. From my new GIRLHOOD GUIDE book, "Girlhood Guide: Feelings Fly."
allyswift
July 17th, 2016 8:14am
By being open with them , How this is really effecting u and telling them that no body can help them
PerryMason
August 4th, 2016 4:52pm
Try explaining to your parents that apologizing doesn't do much, and that bullying really affects you and hurts you.
GavinT
March 29th, 2017 2:37pm
Be honest with your parents about what is going on with your bully and make it clear that you are asking for their help and not just a simple comforting word or gesture. Keep in mind that like you, they're human, and that it may be difficult for them to know exactly what to do in your situation. But if you are there to help each other over come your bully, you're going to be on the right foot!
HappyEllie
July 3rd, 2019 1:02am
Explain to your parent the way this makes you feel. Many parents do not understand the emotional and physical impact bullying has on young people today. They may see this bullying as just a small part of your life but struggle to understand the magnitude of the stress this may put you under. Try to explain to them why apologising is not working for you, although this may seem like the easy option, try to make them aware that this does not make life any easier for you. Try to put them in your shoes in a way it makes it easier to empathise with you and fully understand your situation.
Freedomtochoose
January 6th, 2019 2:18am
Sounds like you are in a tough position. Sorry. If it is happening in school, your family must be notified, but there isn't a need for them to intervene, just be there for support. School Policy states that all children deserve to be in an environment that is emotionally and physically safe. When adults and school officials respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Now, if it is happening outside of the school community, than it may be best that your parents have a sit down with the perpetrator's parents. And if that's not a solution, it may be best to file a restraining order.
Anonymous
April 18th, 2021 6:41pm
Ask them to and express your concerns to them. However, you state that your parents apologize to avoid confrontation, and you are wanting your parents to fend off bullies for you ie. avoiding confrontation. If you can't rely on those around you then you must rely on yourself and find your own way to overcome your situation, whether that is by talking to other people with authority or confronting the bullies yourself. Unless these bullies are physically harming you or doing something to ruin your reputation (rumours etc) then their impact is only what you decide it to be. Bullies are just bored, insecure, immature people. They act that way because they lack the knowledge to be any different.
AmyJay
April 6th, 2019 12:03am
"Getting" your parents to do something is really complicated. Parents may not always be there for you. They are their own people too, however much they may put that off. It's important to remember there are other adults and resources to find help, such as school administration and counsellors. Bullies usually are having a really hard time in their own lives, and bullying is a result of that insecurity and suffering. They could also use help. An anonymous tip to the counsellors that they may be in need of some assistance could go a long way. One of the best things about bullies, is they teach us to stand up for ourselves, especially because parents won't always be around to save you and fix the problems for you.
DreamsAndDoodles
May 26th, 2019 6:17pm
Maybe try having a serious talk with them about why it bothers you when they do that, and how you wish they would behave. Try not to sound accusatory. Talk about how it's affecting you rather than what's wrong with them. Be honest about your feelings, and about how the bullies behave. Try to get them to see everything from your point of view, while keeping in mind that they also have their own reasons for the way they behave, and that they're just trying to help. I hope you find my answer useful and it that it helps you out.
TheLinenMonk
June 15th, 2019 1:37am
Ask them to and express your concerns to them. However, you state that your parents apologize to avoid confrontation, and you are wanting your parents to fend off bullies for you ie. avoiding confrontation. If you can't rely on those around you then you must rely on yourself and find your own way to overcome your situation, whether that is by talking to other people with authority or confronting the bullies yourself. Unless these bullies are physically harming you or doing something to ruin your reputation (rumours etc) then their impact is only what you decide it to be. Bullies are just bored, insecure, immature people. They act that way because they lack the knowledge to be any different.
SEArenity
April 3rd, 2021 11:56pm
I think you need to have a conversation with them. Tell them you understand their wish to avoid confrontation because it's normal to want peace. And that you want peace too. But avoiding confrontation is not solving your problem with bullies and you would like them to stand up for you so can the bullies stop harassing you and you can be in peace, that is something that you value as them (your parents). Tell them also that you fear that things will escalate, that you fear the bullying will intensify if your parents continue to be passive about the subject. You can also speak with your teacher to have a conversation with them.
Anonymous
November 15th, 2020 2:01pm
Maybe you can ask your parents to first listen to you, analyze why and how you are bullied, and ask them to believe in you and support you. Even if you are not bullied and want your parents to stand up for you, make them realise the consequences of bullying. I know that deep down they too know how bad bullying can get ... it is just that they sometimes avoid it. But the truth is, you are the only one who cant make your parents understand the importance of this subject. You should tell them, that by apologizing, one can either become polite or they can also become ignorant, and then tell them that you don't want your parents to turn out to be ignorant...
Anonymous
December 4th, 2020 11:36am
I went through this the best way would be to sit with your parents express how you are feeling see how they feel as well a chat can often bring families closer and to better understand what needs to be done. Sometimes parents may not fully understand what we may be feeling or going through so sometimes to express to them that you need their help and maybe explain to them what all has been happening and why it upsets you how they have been reacting to things i am sorry that this is happening to you bullying is rough and it is sad the world has it
Anonymous
January 22nd, 2021 12:47pm
This is a great question! It depends on perspective. Sometimes it can be difficult to have our parents defend us against bullies. We are taught as a society not to bully others, it's morally wrong. But when bullies charge towards us and try to manipulate us and take advantage of us it can sometimes seem difficult to talk about it to others. Getting your parents to stand up for you is so important because it means they can defend, protect and cherish you as their child. When parents start to apologize it might seem confusing because it can just be a way to make the problem go away and avoid confrontation. This isn't always a bad thing depending on how its done. Perhaps your parents are looking at It with a perspective such as, "Hmm, if I apologize to them for not knowing better, it might help them to be calmer and not bully my child." Sometimes bullying them or their parents in return doesn't always make things better. It depends on the whole scenario and situation and how things are done. Perhaps your parents being assertive with the immature bullies parents are a way to make them understand better and communicating with them, pointing out exactly what it is that they want to stop happen. =) Don't be discouraged if you feel like your parents can not stand up for you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You shouldn't feel alone, the world should make you feel safe depending on how you view things and treat others. Everyone will be held accountable for their actions at some point in life. I understand it might be difficult to move past situations where you are feeling bullied because you feel alone. Trying to engage with people you find comfort with helps! There are support groups you might be able to talk to others and relate to them on the website. I don't want you feel alone, YOU ARE ENOUGH. Don't feel silenced when it comes to bullies. Make sure you speak up about how you feel or felt but to the right person(s) such as counselor, principle, teachers, etc.. If you go to church, let your pastor/ priest or whoever ordains within your religious beliefs. I would say that you should still tell your parents even if you feel they haven't handled the situation correctly. Speaking about your emotions can be important for your parents to understand what you're going through. Don't give up! Also, explore the website and find as much people as you can to talk to if you need to!
NinjaBunnny
March 10th, 2021 2:10pm
Tell then to remember their own experience of being bullied and how would they feel then if there could be someone to stand up for them. Explain how bullying makes you feel and what it does to you. Say to them to also think of the big picture: if no one ever stops bullies, they will just grow into bigger bullies. And those are then people who are mobbing their employees or attacking people around them. I think it is important that they understand your own trauma from these incidents and also see the big picture, what kind of world would they like to contribute to.
Anonymous
April 4th, 2018 4:18pm
Have a serious talk with them. Bullying is no joke. Tell them you need help dealing with this. If they don't help, help yourself. Go to a teacher, principal, grandparents, aunts, uncles. Any adult who is willing to help.
Anonymous
December 5th, 2018 8:55pm
When it comes to bullying it’s best to stand up for what is right, that does not mean sitting and letting it get you down and saying sorry to avoid confrontation. The best approach you could take is to go and discus this with your parent or guardian as sisuations like this are very serious, once you and expressed how you feel to your parent then can then help you get through this hard time and help solve the situation. However, if you do not feel you can go to them go to someone who you can talk to and express how you feel as it will be easier and then they can help come forth and get it sorted.
katherine081902
August 15th, 2018 8:54pm
In my personal experiences, one thing that really helped me was to sit down and have a conversation with my parents telling them how I feel and how their actions make me feel and what they show me. An example for that would be if they are apologizing to avoid confrontation, I would tell them that their actions show me that they don't care how the bullies make me feel or they don't care about resolving the issue, etc. That has worked before for me.
Anonymous
July 20th, 2018 11:06am
Oh my word this question covers the way I grew up. I was always in the wrong. My parents apologised for my so called bad behaviour inside of teaching the basics of what works and what doesn't. A person cannot be expected to know. Cannot be shouted at that they are wrong. The child need to be taught the basics of good verses bad. Easy when you know the score. If someone bites a gentle introduction of teeth being sharp won't go a miss. Boundaries need to be set and rules need to be respected. Not judgemental however lovingly but firmly. Not with anger.
yourenotalonedear
July 6th, 2018 8:08pm
Getting parents support is vital for any child. Try to tell them accurately what happens to you and how you are being bullied. Expressing yourself will let your parents know of your situation and help you out of it.
Laceyishere
June 29th, 2018 6:12pm
Tell them it’s really bothering you, confront them about the situation & how you feel. They’ll never know how bad it truely is if you don’t speak up.
SitaV
June 14th, 2018 6:23pm
Wanting your parents to be on your side against bullies in understandable. I'm sure they don't want to escalate the situation and want to protect you from making things worse. Talk to them. Let them know that you appreciate that they don't want things to get worse but it's not helping things and that you want them to be more proactive. Try not to be accusatory. Be understanding and explain to them why you need them to stand up for you with confrontation instead of without it.
friendlyMist53
June 10th, 2018 10:48pm
The best advice I can give you is to sit down with your parents and tell them what exactly is happening to you. Sometimes it can be difficult for parents to exactly understand this problem. If you tell them what you are experiencing, they may understand you better and agree to help you stand up against the bullies.
wonderousSound48
May 16th, 2018 6:14pm
your parents will always stand up for you no matter what and you will be better off asking them and telling them what has been going on.
BrandonCares1074
May 4th, 2018 9:39pm
You could have a talk with your parents about all of the ways this person has bullied you and ask for them to confront his parents or contact the school. Your parents want the best for you and they will understand.
purplewidow345
May 3rd, 2018 5:40pm
Let them know how you truly feel about needing there help. Also try to standing up for yourself. It is easier said than done,but I believe you can. You have shown strength by asking for help. I hope it all works well!
ruedabega13
April 11th, 2018 3:45pm
Explain to them how it makes you feel when they do that in a calm way. Speak your truth, and try to find a compromise that suits you and them.
SkyeWater
April 8th, 2018 5:31pm
Parents are a fundemental figure in a teenager or child’s life and they care for their children as much as we would care for ourselves, if not, much more. It is important to first- tell your parents of your bullying, and feel comfortable about it. If you are not comfortable with telling them, you will naturally not be comfortable with them helping you stand up against your bullies. Secondly, help them understand your limits. Standing up to a bully for you is one thing, but reporting the bully to the principle of your school is another- if you’r like your parents to simply tell the bully to stop bullying you, do inform them instead of keeping them in the dark.
Connor1853
October 7th, 2021 8:06am
Dealing with bullies is a horrible experience. I've definitely been there! In fact I admit, I've been in all 3 roles, Bully, bullied and guardian of a bullied kid. And its awful to feel like your own parents don't have your back. From their perspective it can be a difficult situation for parents when it comes to this as they simply don't know the whole situation, and acting can potentially have serious consequences for you, and indeed your whole family. Here's the best advice I can offer from my experiences. Talk with your parents, let them know what's going on and how you are feeling as calmly and and honestly as you can, and ask for their support in dealing with this issue. As for dealing with the Bully directly without apologizing and giving up a part of your pride and soul, (That's what it felt like toe) seek to empower yourself! Bullies are regretfully a part of life, and mum and dad will not be there to protect you very often. So when you get your parents support, see if they cant help you get into a martial art, particularly Brazillian Jui-Jitsu. No this isnt so you go slogging any bully you come across, its to give you life-long confidence and control, develop your character and ability to deal with adversity! And yes, in the worst case, if things get physical, protect yourself in the safest way possible for you and your bully. By growing strong and capable not only do bullies avoid us, but we can exude the confidence and control to use empathy for our enemies! After all, most bullies usually have their own suffering going on, and they mistakenly take it out on others because they have no coping mechanisms. You could even gain the power to turn your bully into your friend, and change their life and your own!