Bullying isn’t just a schoolyard problem, it’s a pervasive issue that can follow children wherever they spend their time: in classrooms, on buses, at extracurricular activities and online. The impact of bullying is profound, leaving emotional scars that can last into adulthood. Children who are bullied are at higher risk for anxiety, depression, social withdrawal and academic challenges. 

Employees who are parents of children experiencing bullying often face additional stress that can impact workplace productivity, engagement and mental wellbeing. According to the American Psychological Association, workplace stress related to family concerns can lead to higher absenteeism, decreased focus and lower job satisfaction. By providing support for employees’ families, employers can reduce these stressors, improve retention and foster a culture of wellbeing. 

Understanding bullying

Bullying involves intentionally using physical, verbal or psychological actions to harm someone else, often exploiting a real or perceived power imbalance. Parents often notice behavioral changes in children who are being bullied including, withdrawal from activities, mood changes or reluctance to talk about school. Addressing bullying requires proactive communication and practical support. 

Practical ways to help children cope
While every situation differs, there are proven strategies to help children stay safe and resilient: 

• Notify school officials and trusted adults. 

• Avoid fighting back in anger and walk away when possible. 

• Use the buddy system for safety in numbers. 

• Encourage open dialogue and provide guidance tailored to your child’s needs. 

Beyond immediate safety measures, many children who experience bullying also struggle with lasting anxiety and depression that require additional therapeutic support. When traditional in-person therapy isn’t readily accessible or when children need supplemental tools to build emotional resilience, innovative digital interventions can provide crucial support. 

Digital tools to reduce anxiety and empower children 
Magellan Healthcare’s Digital Emotional Wellbeing program, powered by NeuroFlow, is a core component of our Employee Assistance Program. The programs, ThinkHeroTM (ages 6-12 years) and ThinkWarriorTM (ages 13-17 years), offer age-appropriate, interactive digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs designed to address anxiety and depression in children and teens. 

Developed with a clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric CBT, these programs provide adventure-based, interactive narratives that help children: 

• Recognize and change unhelpful thought patterns 

• Practice situations they would normally avoid 

• Build lifelong skills to manage anxiety 

• Develop inner strength and self-empowerment 

Participants progress through nine self-directed steps, with the option to engage a supportive adult to provide encouragement and reinforce progress. The programs are confidential and accessible anywhere, on any device.

Proven impact of Magellan’s programs 

These results show that structured digital interventions can meaningfully improve emotional wellbeing for children and teens, offering a measurable ROI for employers who provide access to these resources. 

Why employers should offer Magellan’s EAP with Digital Emotional Wellbeing Programs
Supporting employees’ families goes beyond childcare, it directly impacts workplace performance. With Magellan’s EAP, employers can: 

• Help working parents manage their stress and support their children’s mental health 

• Reduce stress-related absenteeism and improve productivity 

• Enhance employee satisfaction, retention and engagement 

• Promote a culture of wellbeing and resilience across the organization 

Bullying can’t always be prevented, but with the right support systems, children can build resilience, parents can feel empowered, and employers can benefit from a healthier, more productive workforce.  

Learn how Magellan Healthcare can support your employees and their families with digital emotional wellbeing programs. 

Sources: American Psychological Association and Harvard Business Review  

April is the Month of the Military Child, which celebrates and acknowledges the children of our service members. While living with a military family member can make children resilient and strong, this lifestyle can sometimes make them more susceptible to bullying in a school setting.

The Army’s Adolescent Support and Counseling Services (ASACS) program is a wonderful resource for military families looking for bullying awareness and prevention tactics. The ASACS program provides confidential counseling for adolescents and families to help them thrive while supporting a loved one stationed overseas.

Magellan Federal provides 23 ASACS counselors and four Clinical Supervisors at 22 Department of Defense schools worldwide and is intimately familiar with bullying issues that are prevalent within the military adolescent population. If you are a teacher, counselor, parent, or caregiver, here are some effective techniques our counselors have used to educate and help safeguard military children against bullying.

Educate with Games with Prizes

Create a bullying awareness event to open a discussion about what bullying looks like and how to take action. Have students write down what they would do if their friend was bullied on a sticky note wall and participants spun a wheel to answer questions about bullying scenarios to win a prize. This helps children understand how to identify bullying and actionable skills they can call upon to get help.

Encourage Role Play
We have also found success with conducting lessons on healthy communication through role play. Ask kids to create skits to demonstrate different communication styles. These will help participants identify assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and passive communication, body language, and appropriate social filters to promote healthy communication and dialogue.
Then discuss how other communication styles could be hurtful and why social filters help to improve relationships and decrease instances of bullying.

Organize a Kindness Event
Organizing a school-wide prevention activity can help promote kindness and gratitude on a greater scale. Encourage students to write notes to friends, students, teachers, and staff about what they appreciated about that person. One of our recent events had about 700 messages written!

Schedule Ongoing Discussions
Conduct mini lessons on topics such as bullying prevention and empathy building. Setting aside a scheduled time to chat about bullying-related topics will keep it top of mind and build trust. These talks can also be used as an alternative to detention.

Bullying is a serious issue for military children, who may be more vulnerable in school settings due to their unique lifestyle. As caregivers, educators, and advocates, we must collaborate to provide resources and support to create a safe and inclusive environment for all children. By implementing these effective techniques, such as educating through games, encouraging role play, organizing kindness events, and scheduling ongoing discussions, we can equip military children with the necessary skills to identify and stand up to bullying. Let’s continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our military children, not just in April — but every day.

Children who are socially withdrawn, shy, and appear to lack self-esteem are more likely than other children to be targets for bullying. Children who appear confident and strong are better able to discourage children from harassing them.

Parents and other important adults in a child’s life can use these suggestions to help boost a child’s self-esteem:

• Encourage your child to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports or drama, which can raise a child’s confidence and sense of mastery. Sports, in particular, also help build strength, which can level the imbalance of physical power between children. Some children may prefer individual sports (such as karate, gymnastics, and swimming) over group sports (such as soccer or baseball). Drama classes can help children project strength and confidence, even if they don’t feel it at first.
• Help children become involved socially with other children through school, church, or community activities. This way, children will build social skills and learn to be at ease with others. Children who have friends and “hang out” with them at school are less likely to be targets for bullying than lonely children who have no social support.
• Role-play with children to show them how to appear confident and how to handle encounters with children who harass them. Help children learn to look people in the eye and to speak with a strong voice—but not shout—when talking to would-be bullies.

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