Riham Monzer
"If someone hits you, hit back… I do not want my child to be weak"
We live in a society in which if we do not respond to violence through violence; it means we are weak. But this is not the truth. To build more peaceful generations, we need to start believing that the one who hits is weak, and the one who responds to this violence with violence is also weak.
We need to teach children that violence is not the solution; if they were violated, responding with violence will only worsen the problem. If someone hits my car, I do not hit their car back. The law will give me my right.
Suppose I teach my child to hit back. In that case, I am not considering that the other child might be physically stronger than mine, and thus my child might end up being beaten. How would my child feel then?
When the child hits back at the bully and starts a fight, there is a possibility that no one "wins," and thus, the bully will know that the other child isn’t strong enough to beat him, which might cause the bullying to happen again.
Asking children to hit back will make them learn that:
Hitting back might cause an escalation in violence and thus cause serious injuries. It will also lead to feelings of resentment and hatred between both parties. Hitting someone because he hit you is not self-defense; it’s retaliation.
If someone was about to hit the child: teach the child to stand up tall, look that person in the eye, and show courage while saying, "No, you are not allowed to touch me," with a somber tone and withholding their index figure.
If someone has already started hitting the child: teach children to STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES by PROTECTING their bodies from being hit and pushing the other child away. In addition to that, teach them to say, "No, You are not allowed to touch me," with a severe tone and to withhold their figure up, and then seek help from a teacher or an adult.
Such skills need practice, just like reading and writing, so regularly practice these techniques with your child at home.
