Children at risk addresses bullying
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- There is a growing concern about bullying and the impact it has on students mental health. 11-year-old Jocelynn Rojo Carranza from Gainesville, Texas made national news after she committed suicide following being bullied for her family's immigration status.
According to Children at Risk, latino youth make one-third to one-half as many outpatient mental health visits compared with peers from other racial or ethnic groups. The Senior Director of Children’s Immigration Network, Linda Corchado says they want to bridge the gap between schools and communities because they've seen an increase in bullying incidents.
"It's really important for us as community members to really look inward and see our own prejudices, that inform the way that we think about this issue. Because no matter how you might feel about immigration policy or border politics, I think a lot of us can agree that children should not feel tormented to this degree, that it's causing them severe emotional disturbances, at their schools," Corchado said.
Bullying has a detrimental impact on student development. Corchado says these years are critical for children to develop their brain and to be able to manage stress settings in a positive way.
Anti-bullying Alliance says behavior that might be an indicate your child is being bullied includes
- a reluctance to go to school
- unexplained tummy upsets or headaches
- showing signs of distress on a Sunday night or at the end of school holidays
- becoming either quiet or withdrawn, or playing up
- torn clothes and missing belongings
- seeming upset after using their phone, tablets, computers etc
- wanting to leave for school much earlier than necessary or returning home late.Â
Corchado explains, when it comes to immigration stigma it's important for parents to instill confidence in children. "What we see with with immigrant children is they start to internalize these issues and think, I did something wrong. We we must deserve this kind of treatment. And so when parents really, instill a sense of pride, celebrate our culture, our diversity that helps kids feel more anchored, and more confident and who they are.:
