More than a Rite of Passage

 The seriousness of a child bully sometimes gets neglected by school officials and even parents. If bullying persists without appropriate action from school officials, there is no telling the psychological, emotional and physical damage that can happen to your child. In many cases parents or school officials will right off incidents with "kids will be kids" but no child should suffer the emotional and physical consequences of a bully. According to bullying statistics, over thirteen percent of kids aging from 6-13 have reported being involved in bullying. In the past year many cases have transpired involving the link between school bullying and suicides in children. You do not want your child to feel helpless and feel that suicide is the only answer. Speaking with an Arizona personal injury attorney can help you figure out the right course of action especially if there was obvious neglect from school officials. In Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix and surrounding area's many elementary, middle and high schools have reported incidents on bullying by a classmate. While some of these have been properly handled, other children are left to suffer with the physical and psychological consequences of a bully.

Many parents are unaware of what to do when their child is being bullied. There are many steps you can take to help your child deal with this problem so it can be handled as soon as possible. According to safechild.org some things a parent can do if their child is being bullied include:

How to Deal with Bullies

• Tell your child to contact a teacher or school official when the problem occurs instead of dealing with it themselves.
• Tell your child to not react, walk away when confronted with a bully.
• Tell your child to say "You're right" and walk away from the bully.
• Talk to school officials like a teacher or principal about the situation.
• Tell your child to avoid the bully if possible by taking a different route to class, but not to hide out.
• Teach your child to stand tall and be confident about themselves without feeling the need to resort to physical violence.

While taking these steps may help in dealing with bullies, they may not help if there is neglect within your child's school system. If your child's bullying problem has not been properly handled by school authorities, there is a greater risk of physical and emotional consequences for your child. Some examples include:

Physical and Emotional Consequences

• Low-self esteem
• Depression
• Bruising/scarring
• Broken bones
• Suicidal thoughts
• Shame/Humiliation
• Detachment

A common misconception is that bullies are gender specific. Statistically, the most common form of bullying occurs with a group of girls bullying an individual boy. As a result of Hollywood, most parents frequently think of only boy on boy bullying. That is why it is important to receive all the facts about your child's bully, in order to figure out how to best handle the situation.

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Child Slip and Fall Accidents

While children have the tendency to not be aware of the dangers of falling down and hurting themselves, sometimes there are dangers that are not your child's fault but the fault of an individual who neglected a hazard. If you are on someone else's private property or public property, you have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries. In most cases, the business or property owner are responsible for any injury that occurs on their property. When encountered with this type of accident it is important to contact an Arizona Personal Injury Lawyer as soon as possible so a frivolous lawsuit cannot be named. In the Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale and Phoenix area there have been many lawsuits were compensation was awarded to cover the injuries of a slip and fall accident.

Children's bodies are small and less developed which makes them more susceptible to sever injuries. There are many possible dangers in an individual's home or public property that can possess a hazard that injures your child. Some of the different types of hazards that can injure your child include:

Where Slip and Falls Can Occur

• Potholes
• Wet floor
• Unbalanced flooring
• Adverse weather conditions such as ice, rain, snow etc.
• Unattended spilled or fallen items
• Poorly lit walkways and stairs
• Uneven sidewalks

Depending on the severity of the fall, the injuries to your child can be numerous. Some injuries can take a few days to heal, other types of more serious injuries can take months. These injuries can result in thousands of dollars in hospital bills and even physical therapy bills. Some examples of the types of injuries that can occur to your child include:

Types of Injuries

• Broken bones
• Bruises/ Scarring
• Brain Damage
• Spinal Cord Injury/ Paralysis
• Death

If your child's slip and fall accident occurred in a public building or a public parking lot, an accident report should be filed at the time of the accident as soon as possible. Some other examples of the types of steps that should be taken in the event of an accident include:

What to do if a slip and fall accident has occurred

• Write down a description of the fall, what caused it, and if there was no indication of a present danger
• The date, time and location of the fall
• A list of witnesses and contact information and statements confirming what happened at the time of the accident
• If possible take photos of the occurrence and where it occurred.
• If your child is physically injured, seek immediate medical attention in order to substantiate your claim


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