If your child is bullied it means that peers are intentionally causing her pain. If this is happening to your child, please know that your son or daughter is not alone. By some estimates, one in seven American schoolchildren is either a bully or a victim. Reports confirm that bullying is starting at younger ages and is far more frequent and aggressive than ever before.

While you can't always be there to step in and protect your child there are ways to help your son or daughter be less likely to be victimized in the first place. I reviewed hundreds of articles on bullying to find tips to pass onto parents. I also wrote a proposal to end school bullying and violence that became SB1667 and passed into law.

Here are some of those solutions to help your child navigate a vicious social jungle and deal with bullies:

Start the talk now! Children who are embarrassed or humiliated about being bullied are unlikely to discuss it with their parents or teachers and generally suffer in silence, withdraw and try to stay away from school. So start talking to your child about bullying before it ever happens. Tell your child you are always available and recognize it is a growing problem.

Stop rescuing. Children need practice to speak up and be assertive so when the moment comes that they do need to stand up to a bully, they can. Always rescuing can create the conditions under which a child can become a victim.

Avoid areas where bullies prey. Bullying usually happens in unsupervised adult areas such as hallways, stairwells, playgrounds (under trees and equipment, in far corners), lockers, parks and bathrooms in places such as malls, schools, parks and even libraries. Teach your child "hot spots" (places most likely to be frequently by bullies), and then tell him to avoid those areas.

Each week Michele Borba answers your parenting questions right here on her blog. If you have a parenting problem or question leave a comment on this post and you may have yours answered next week!

My son has a best friend (they are 8 years old) that comes over for sleep overs during the weekend, and he goes over to his friend's Dad's house and sleep over there too. Is it wrong to let the two boys sleep in the same bed with each other? -Michelle Johnson


Thanks for the question, Michelle. You're talking about two second grade aged buddies sleeping in the same bed. I am reading here that you're concerned maybe of homosexuality. Is that true? If so, the medical research shows that sexuality is biologically determined, so there is no need for concern on that topic. But there are two potential red flags.

First, boys that age do "experiment". By hosting the boys you are also responsible for anything that happens in your house.

This is also the age when teasing and bullying starts escalating. Other kids hearing about these boys sleeping together could fuel a lot of taunting. Gone are the days of innocence, eh? Sad, but you asked and I wanted you to think things through.

Why not purchase two inexpensive sleeping bags and a couple of flashlights? This is the perfect age when boys love to "camp out" (even inside) or drape sheets over beds and card tables to make forts. You might just start a whole new trend.


Click here to read more of Michele Borba's Q&As, or leave a comment below with your own questions and it may be answered next week.

---

Dr. Michele Borba is the author of over 22 books including 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know .

Get more info from TODAY on iVillage.

“So Mom, when did you lose your virginity?”
“What kind of drugs did you do, Dad?”
“How many times did you do it?”

Kids have always said the darnedest things, but these days they’re also asking embarrassing and frank questions about their parents’ past lives: “How old were you when you took your first drink?” “Did you and dad hook up before you were married?” “What do you mean you didn’t inhale?”

Their questions shouldn’t come as any big shock. After all, this is the Facebook Generation where kids routinely post each and every vivid detail of their personal lives and have been exposed to sordid R-rated indiscretions and national scandals of celebrities and politicians from such young ages. So it really shouldn’t come as any surprise when your kid asks about your past dalliances with drugs, drinking, and sex. Which poses the real question: “Have you thought about how you’ll answer your teen?”

Watch the segment from TODAY

Do you know what skittling is? How about tussing, playing space monkey or the fainting game? Do you know which items in your medicine cabinet can give kids a “high?” If you don’t, you should—chances are your kid does. They’re all risky behaviors teens are doing these days.

While there’s certainly nothing new about teens taking risks, many of these activities can have deadly outcomes and are also starting at younger ages. The best way to help your child be safe is for parents to stay up on what’s going on and know the warning signs.

In the slideshow below, I detailed four risky behaviors today’s kids are doing that all parents should be aware of. Read through it and talk to your child. Hopefully you can prevent a tragedy.

Four Risky Teen Behaviors All Parents Should Know

(Dr. Michele Borba tells TODAY's Amy Robach about these dangerous activities and the signs to look out for. Watch the video.)

People on the street talk about what they think are the riskiest teen behaviors. Watch the video.)