10 Signs Your Child is Being Bullied at School
With every new school year, it’s imperative to take a step back and evaluate your child’s well-being. Although we hope and pray that our children are never subject to bullying or being a bully, it’s very common and real within schools. Some children who are being bullied at school never mention to anyone that it’s happening or ask for help, so it’s important to looking for and understand warning signs.
- Having reoccurring injuries and difficulty (or can’t explain) injuries they have
- Eating habits change (skipping meals, coming home from school hungry because they hadn’t eaten lunch or binge eating)
- Faking or frequently feeling sick
- Decrease in self-esteem, personality changes, helplessness
- Avoiding social situations or pulling away/losing friends
- Not wanting to go to school or ride the bus, decreased interest in school work and grade suffering
- Increased in damaged or lost possessions such as books, toys, electronics or articles of clothing
- Increased aggression toward younger siblings or kids which is consistent with them minimizing what is happening to them
- Sudden self-destructive behaviors emerge and they start hurting themselves, blaming themselves for things, talking about hurting themselves, talking about suicide or trying to runaway from home.
- Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
If you feel that your child is being bullied at school, specific signs of bullying will be evident. Many children do not want to tell parents that they are being bullied, so if you truly feel that its happening to your child, take action and address your concern with their school and teachers.
Have conversations with your child regarding bullying. Communication is an imperative relationship building block between yourself and your child. It shows them that you’re listening. Encourage your child to feel open to speaking with you and ensure them that they can trust you. Be an ally to them because they’re more likely to confide in you.
We found out our child was being bullied at school when he started hysterically crying on his way to school one day. He kept telling my husband that there was a kid who would push him and hit him. He literally told his father that he was scared to go to school. He immediately spoke to daycare once he got to school where the teachers confirmed that there was a problem child. They reassured him that they were working on it.
My advice is to be persistent. Demand that something be done and be an advocate for your child. If they see that you will advocate for them, they understand that they can trust you and that they can come to you with any problems.
Oftentimes, parents don’t take action or believe their child until it’s too late, but by that time news of their child’s suicide or injury makes headlines. I encourage you all to speak with your child about bullying. Explain to them what it is, the different types of bullying buand how they can handle the situation. Encourage them to always have open communication with you so that you can protect them and help them with the situation.
