How Do You Handle Bullying?

Turn the other cheek. Push back. Talk about it. Run away.

Those are just some of the options kids have when they face bullies. Bullying continues to be an issue for schools around the country. Cruel taunting and shoves between classmates have managed to follow victims onto social media networks and text messages as a form of cyberbullying.

Last week, President Barack Obama and his administration hosted students, parents and teachers at the White House for a conference on bullying prevention. Facebook carried the White House conference live.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama also filmed a Facebook video to raise awareness about the topic. The video can be viewed on the StopBullying.gov Facebook page. 

In January, Patch readers sounded off on an ABC report that covered student fights.

So what should you do when another kid is bullying your child? What should you do if your child IS the bully?

We checked with some moms about this topic. Here's what they had to say about bullying.

• Mom of three sons: A good friend of mine recently broke down in front of me when she told me that her son had been bullied incessantly at his small, private school. She asked me how I would feel if it were my son being bullied, and the feeling took my breath away. I would be heartbroken. Yet if it were my first-grader who was being bullied, I would definitely step in and contact the teacher. If my son was in middle school like my friend's, though, I would have to take a step back. Sometimes a parent intervening can make the bullying worse. I am thinking that if a child is a bully, most likely the parent is, too, and I don't want to deal with that. Most importantly, I would want my children to feel like they could confide in me about what's going on, because the worst thing would be not knowing until it was too late.
• Mom of four (2 teens and 2 toddlers): Bullying is a serious issue and one that needs to be taken seriously by us all. I recently read a true story written by Jodee Blanco, Please Stop Laughing at Me, that tells the story of Jodee's terrible childhood as a victim. If my child were being bullied, I would start with the teacher and quickly advance to the principal if things have not improved. Too many people think, "Kids are just being kids," or "Boys will be boys." This is NOT the right attitude and one that could end in a terrible childhood for many victims. Thankfully we have not encountered any situations that couldn't be handled by the child alone.

What do you think?  Jump right in and have your say in the comments box below.