Bullying Awareness Month and the Rise of Homeschooling: Should I Homeschool?

For decades or even centuries, bullying in school was too often dismissed as “kids being kids.” Every October, Bullying Awareness Month challenges that idea, bringing attention to and recognizing bullying for the significant problem that it is.

Millions of students around the country experience bullying every day at school. Bullying can profoundly impact your child’s sense of self, their academic success, and their overall well-being.

Thanks to campaigns like National Bully Awareness Month and the passage of anti-bullying legislation in every state, teachers and schools are more likely—and legally obligated—to address reports of bullying in their halls. Unfortunately, that’s not always enough to keep your kids safe from the torment of bullies. As bullying becomes more common and more nuanced, many parents are looking for educational alternatives to keep their children safe. The question they often find themselves asking is, “Should I homeschool my child?”

The Rise of Bullying in Schools

A 2023 survey of 130,000 kids and teens ages 9-18 from the Boys and Girls Club shows that bullying has increased over the last four years. According to the survey, Youth Right Now, 40% of youth say they were bullied on school property in the past year, 14% higher than in 2019.  Additionally, around 18% of youth have experienced cyberbullying but a staggering 55% never told an adult.

Bullying can be physical, verbal, or psychological, and there is always a power imbalance at play, whether real or imagined. Students who are bullied often report believing that their bully has more social influence, including the ability to change how others see them, more money, or that they are bigger or stronger. Bullying can also look like social exclusion, spreading false rumors, and shunning other students. And, with the availability of the internet, it can happen in person or online.

Studies have shown that bullying can make children feel isolated, rejected, and excluded by their peers, often leading to an experience of depression, anxiety, and even despair. It’s no surprise that parents are actively considering the benefits of homeschooling not just for a higher quality education, but for a better educational experience.

Why do People Homeschool? More Families are Making the Switch

Before the COVID pandemic closed schools in early 2020, approximately 3% of school-age children were homeschooled. Since then, the percentage of children being homeschooled has nearly doubled. More and more families like yours are realizing the homeschooling advantages to better support their child’s education and well-being. 

The Link Between Bullying and Homeschooling

School should be a safe place for all students. When a child is being bullied, it removes that sense of safety, turning school into a place of fear and anxiety. Bullying happens in the classroom, the hallway, on sports fields, and online, often away from the watchful eyes of parents, teachers, and administrators.

Not surprisingly, 80% of parents surveyed in the National Household Education Survey cited concerns about the school environment as one of the biggest reasons to homeschool.

Homeschooling as a Solution to School Bullying

Whether you want to stop bullying before it starts, or your child is healing from the pain of being bullied, homeschooling allows your child to learn in a comfortable, safe environment.

With homeschooling, you and your child can decide who and what they encounter throughout the day. This is something that public schools simply cannot offer, and part of why people homeschool instead. 

Allowing your child to choose and shape their own social interactions reduces the potential for both bullying and peer pressure. It gives them (and you) control over how they interact with the world, not isolating them, but allowing them to curate those experiences. Additionally, homeschooling offers your child the chance to pursue an education better attuned to their unique interests and aptitudes.

Reasons to Homeschool: Is it the Right Choice for Your Child?

From avoiding the threat of bullies to crafting a unique educational experience, homeschooling your child offers many advantages. Here are five great home education benefits for your child—and a couple of reasons that it might not be the best fit for you and your family.

Personalized Education and Academic Flexibility

Traditional schools usher all children through a predetermined path from kindergarten to graduation, regardless of their unique interests and learning styles. 

Homeschooling allows for greater flexibility in your child’s education. With endless homeschool curriculum options that can be personalized to your child, you can set a unique path and pace for their education. This allows your child to pursue the subjects that they’re most interested in (while also covering all the necessary basics) and to move through those topics at their own speed. 

For children who have been bullied, this flexibility is especially important. After a negative school experience, your child may need additional space and time to recover both academically and emotionally.

A Safe and Nurturing Learning Environment

When your child is being tormented, it’s hard for them to focus on anything else. Even the most enthusiastic student will quickly lose the joy of learning when it’s associated with the pain of bullying in schools.

A home education gives your child a chance to shed the fear and anxiety they’ve felt in school and focus on the most important piece: learning. In a safe, nurturing, and thoughtfully controlled environment—free from negative peer influences and the threat of bullying—your child can rebuild their interest and confidence in education.

Proven Results

Homeschooling your child isn’t just a reaction to the negative aspects of traditional schooling; choosing to educate your child at home with the support of an accredited homeschool provider like Bridgeway Academy sets them up for greater success in higher education and beyond.

Homeschooled students typically score higher—as much as 25% higher—on standardized academic achievement tests. They are not only accepted in prestigious colleges and universities around the country and the world, but they’re also more likely to graduate than their public school peers. Plus, despite prevailing notions about the development of homeschooled children, nearly 90% of studies show that homeschoolers perform better socially, emotionally, and psychologically too.

One-to-One Academic Advisors

One of the concerns that many parents have about homeschooling is an imagined loss of resources, such as academic advisors who can help guide your child through their education and into adulthood.

With an accredited homeschool program provider like Bridgeway Academy, your child has access to educational resources that equal—or even surpass—those available in a traditional school. At Bridgeway, our advisors offer one-on-one support to students. While some homeschool providers utilize a call center approach, our advisors get to know your child, their aspirations, and their challenges to help them succeed. 

Highly Customized Learning

Rather than assigning curriculum by grade level and teaching everyone the same way, homeschooling allows you to craft a learning plan that suits your child’s academic level and style of learning.

At Bridgeway Academy, all of our students go through an assessment so we can understand their learning style and determine their academic level. This customized approach is key to helping students be successful, stay engaged, and progress more naturally through their education.

Challenges of Homeschooling

Even with so many homeschooling advantages, deciding to educate your child at home does have its challenges, especially for parents who aren’t trained as teachers. 

Homeschooling can require more parent involvement than traditional schooling, from planning your child’s curriculum to guiding them through it. If you choose a homeschool program from Bridgeway Academy, parents and children have the support of our academic advisors for help selecting the appropriate curriculum for their learning style and guiding them through the school year. At Bridgeway, our families are never alone.

Homeschooling also comes at a cost, requiring an investment of both money (for curriculum, homeschooling programs, books, supplies, and other resources) and of time to help your child succeed. Many states now offer financial assistance for homeschooled families. To learn more about homeschooling in your state, visit our homeschool laws and resources by state page.

For many parents, these challenges are more than worthwhile and do not outweigh the many reasons to be homeschooled. The ultimate payoff is seeing your child complete their education in a safe, happy environment—without the pain of bullying.

Socialization in Homeschooling vs. Public School

One of the most common misconceptions about homeschooling is the idea that homeschooled students are isolated, leading to interpersonal challenges later in life.

The truth is that homeschooled children have a wealth of opportunities to socialize. But unlike traditional schools, where your child has no control over when, where, and how that socialization occurs, not to mention with whom, homeschooled families can curate their child’s socialization opportunities. We firmly believe that this selective socialization is another one of the many benefits of homeschooling.

Homeschooled students can also participate in public school sports and other extracurricular activities, even if they don’t attend class at the school during the day. Many cities and towns across the country also offer alternative athletic programs and in-person activities specifically geared toward the homeschool community. Homeschool programs like Bridgeway Academy further connect students by offering online and in-person interest groups and activities, even including a graduation ceremony to celebrate your child’s accomplishments.

With so many options available, homeschooled children can choose the activities that suit their interests and personality, creating a community they enjoy.

Homeschooling Resources and Support for Parents

Just as community is important for your child, it’s also an essential part of the homeschooling parent experience. Through Bridgeway Academy, resources and support for parents include support groups and homeschool parent communities—both local and online—to help you make a smooth transition to and through your child’s home education.

Our parent groups share resources, advice, and opportunities for their children to connect and socialize. They frequently trade tips, solve challenges, and alleviate concerns that naturally arise through the process, ensuring you’re never alone in the experience.

How to Get Started with Homeschooling

Ready to bring your child’s education home? Below are the steps you need to take to get started.

1. 1. Learn your state’s laws. Homeschooling regulations and laws are different in every state, including how to declare your intent to homeschool your child, the required subjects that must be included in your curriculum, and whether or not you will need to submit your child’s learning plan for review. Learn more about your state’s homeschool laws.
   2. Understand your homeschool options. There are thousands of homeschool curricula, programs, and guides out there, ranging from DIY lesson plans to live online classes with teachers included. There are a few key factors to consider as you navigate through them.
      1. Find the best fit for your child. Understanding your child’s learning style and academic level (even beyond their grade year) can give you an important starting point for finding the best homeschool program.
      2. Find the best fit for you. As a new homeschool parent, your job is to guide your child’s education—but that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to design every line of curriculum and teach every subject.

• Look for accreditation. Accredited homeschool programs have been independently evaluated and recognized for quality, ensuring that your child’s education will be recognized by future employers, colleges, universities, and trade programs.

• Demand flexibility. The flexibility of a homeschool education is one of the top reasons to pursue it, so make sure that your homeschool providers offer you full flexibility, letting your child learn how, where, when, and what interests them.

1. 1. Join a community. Whether through your homeschool program of choice or through local connections, a homeschool community can offer resources, support, and guidance throughout your homeschool journey.

• Create space for an at-home education. Dedicate space in your home and your calendar for education.

Is Homeschooling Right for Your Family? Next Steps

If your child has experienced bullying in school, and you’re ready to remove them from that situation, homeschooling can be a great option—but it’s not the only one. The question of “Should I homeschool my child?” is deeply personal, and it’s important to reflect on your family’s needs, your child’s experience in school, your specific concerns, and whether homeschooling aligns with your child’s long-term educational goals as you determine your next steps.

If you’re a parent wrestling with how to protect your child, our Parent Guide: Dealing with Bullying is a great resource, with tips on what to watch for and how to support your child through this experience. 

The Bridgeway Academy team is also available to help you and your child understand whether homeschooling is right for you. Register to attend our next virtual open house, to learn about our programs, philosophy, and opportunities for connection within the homeschooling community. You can also contact us for more information or call us toll-free at (800) 863-1474. 

With more than 35 years of support for homeschool families like yours, one-on-one academic advising, a 96% success rate in matching students to the right curriculum and learning plan, and robust virtual and in-person communities (including Parent Connections), Bridgeway Academy’s accredited homeschool programs meet all the criteria to help you provide a high-quality education that meets the unique needs of your child and family—while keeping them safe at home.