My kid is being bullied at the fencing club. What should we do?
Take it seriously, write it down, and bring it to the head coach or club owner in a calm, specific conversation. A well-run club will act quickly. Bullying is repeated behavior meant to hurt, humiliate or exclude, like name-calling, body shaming or ganging up, not ordinary rivalry or one rough bout. Start a simple log now: dates, what was said or done, who was present, how your child reacted, and every conversation you have with staff, including what they promised. Tell your kid it is not their fault. If they snapped once after months of it, deal with that separately; one outburst does not cancel what happened to them.
Treat the meeting like a business meeting. Bring the facts, say what outcome you want (the behavior stops, staff supervise closely, the kids are separated in drills, the other family is spoken to) and ask what the club will do and by when. If other children are being targeted, their parents can raise it with you; a joint complaint is hard to wave away. If the bully is related to a coach, go above that coach to the owner or head coach. Afterward, send a short email summarizing what was agreed, so there is a record. Good clubs treat bullying as a membership issue, and they deal with it within days, not months.
In the US, you can also report beyond the club. USA Fencing's safety program is called FenceSafe, and the report page on usafencing.org takes concerns about emotional and physical misconduct, which includes bullying, hazing and harassment, plus violations of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP), the rules for how adults interact with minors. Reports can be anonymous. The U.S. Center for SafeSport (uscenterforsafesport.org, under Report a Concern) has exclusive authority over sexual misconduct and child sexual abuse, so those go straight to the Center. If a child is in immediate danger or a crime may have happened, call law enforcement first. Outside the US, contact your national federation's safeguarding officer.
Change clubs if you have raised it clearly and nothing changes within a few weeks, if staff minimize it with advice like "just ignore them", if the club punishes your child for reacting, or if your kid dreads practice. Their wellbeing matters more than loyalty or the membership you already paid for. With no other club nearby, ask about different class times or training groups, or take a break while you look further afield. If it is weighing on your child outside fencing, a school counselor or therapist can help. Leaving over how kids are treated is not an etiquette problem, but our club-switching guide covers the practical steps.