“When is it appropriate to speak to my school's social worker?”
My daughter is getting bullied at school. She's 13 years old, and doesn't have many friends, and this other girl is spreading viscous rumors about her that are ruining her self-esteem. I already spoke to the school about it, but they aren't doing anything about it--it seems. Should I talk to her school social worker?
2 Answers
I am sorry to hear about your daughter's experience. To answer your question, I say without a doubt and 100% certainty that you should speak with your daughter's school social worker. Social Workers are great advocates for the well-being of others, especially young people, and can often help with developing coping skills or, in this case, conflict resolution. With the rise of depression and suicidality in teens, I would say that speaking with the school social worker is absolutely necessary, and I would even encourage outside therapy as well. The caveat to this is that it is often essential to prepare your daughter that you are going to speak with the school social worker so that she can be a part of the process every step of the way. It will be her choice whether she opens up to the social worker, but at the very least, she does not feel blindsided by your decision.
Despite school staff being overworked and underpaid, they want to help your child! School administration does not need to communicate cases of bullying if they are investigating the situation. Due to time constraints, they often do not have the opportunity to follow up with the social worker on each case. However, if your child continues to struggle in school, reach out to the social worker and provide a quick summary of how she/he can help.
