17 Warning Signs Your Child May Be Experiencing Bullying
Discovering that your kid is being bullied at school can be a frightening and overwhelming realization. Many parents don’t know how to face the issue constructively and feel helpless. If you are starting to think that your kid may be experiencing verbal or psychological abuse from his peers, the first thing to do is to investigate further. Here are 17 common signs your child is being bullied.
Note: The content of this article does not reflect the writer’s personal beliefs.
Injuries
This is probably one of the most common signs of bullying. While all kids tend to injure themselves from time to time while playing with friends, if your kid suddenly seems to have more injuries than usual, it’s worth checking with him to see if everything is okay. Try to ask what happened and see if he’s open to talking about it or maintains a secretive attitude.
Change in Eating Habits
Changes in eating habits may also be linked to bullying, especially verbal abuse. For instance, your child may be made fun of by her friends based on her appearance. Consequently, she may suddenly want to eat more or less or have started to inquire about the nutritional values of certain dishes.
Torn Clothes
Similarly to injuries, torn clothes can be a sign of physical abuse. If you notice your child often comes home with dirty, torn, or broken clothes, there is a chance he may be a victim of bullying. Inspect the clothes you find in his room and try to talk about this issue with him.
Low Self Esteem
Constantly being bombarded by physical and psychological abuse has severe consequences on a kid’s mental health. Not surprisingly, victims of bullying tend to have lower self-esteem compared to their fellow students. Did you notice a drop in your kid’s confidence lately? If yes, you may want to investigate further what’s going on.
Difficulties in Sleeping
Victims of bullying often have trouble sleeping due to anxiety. They may be afraid that someone may hurt them the following day and, therefore, be unable to get well-deserved rest. If you think your kids are sleep-deprived and seem more tired than usual, try to spot other signs that may be caused by bullying to figure out whether this is the cause.
Refusal to Go To School
Is your kid suddenly refusing to go to school? If he entered the classroom with a huge smile until yesterday but suddenly no longer wants to go to school or participate in any related activity, something is going on. Talking to his teachers about the issue will help you better understand the situation.
Missing Belongings
If you notice signs of bullying, it may be time to check whether any belongings are missing in your child’s room. Bullies often seek all sorts of objects, from beauty products to toys, school materials, and more. If you notice something missing, discuss it with your child and try to understand whether he’s experiencing any sort of abuse.
Asking for Money
Has your kid suddenly started asking for money? Of course, apart from toys and beauty products, bullies often try to steal money. Whenever your kid asks for extra, investigate why this is the case. Inquire why she needs the money and see whether the requests persist.
Asking for Extra Food
Bullies may also steal your children’s food and snacks. In this regard, it’s essential to notice that while some kids ask their parents for extra food when this happens, others simply ignore the whole thing and avoid eating entirely. In this case, parents may notice their children are hungrier than usual when arriving home.
Different Relationships With The Internet
Nowadays, bullying also takes place on the internet. Known as cyberbullying, this form of abuse is extremely dangerous and can have terrible repercussions. Did your kid suddenly decide to delete all his social media accounts? Or is he spending way more time on his laptop or phone? These are all signs that he may be experiencing cyberbullying.
Anxiety
How would you feel knowing that on your way to the office in the morning, you may find someone ready to attack you physically and verbally? Anxious, exactly. If you notice your kid is overly stressed and anxious, it may be time to take action to figure out whether bullying is at the root of his change in mental wellbeing.
Falling Grades
Was your kid one of the brightest in his classroom? Did she used to get the best grades, but her performance has drastically declined in the last few weeks? Check whether this pattern is common to all subjects and talk to her teachers to see whether they have noticed anything suspicious.
Fearfulness
Does your child seem more fearful lately? Does he seem alert most of the time and unable to relax? These may all be signs that he’s being bullied in school. Make sure he knows your household is a safe place, and try to communicate with him to figure out what’s happening in his life.
Excuses
Mothers often sense when their children are lying to them. Is it something that is happening more often than usual lately? For instance, your kid may come up with thousands of excuses for not going to school, needing extra money, or having his clothes torn, even though you know he’s not being honest with you.
Self-Blame
Victims of bullying can sometimes end up believing what their worst enemies are telling them. Reminding yourself that you are intelligent, beautiful, and worthy of love can be tough when someone yells you the opposite daily. If your kid has recently entered a cycle of self-blame, saying things such as ‘I’m useless’ or ‘I’m stupid,’ there is a chance that he may be experiencing bullying.
Withdrawal From Friends
If your child starts spending less time with their friends or seems distant, it could be a sign they’re dealing with bullying. Sometimes, kids feel embarrassed or ashamed and prefer to be alone rather than face questions. Try to talk to them in a gentle way to understand what’s going on and why they’re avoiding their friends.
Outbursts Of Anger
Is your child suddenly suffering from random outbursts of anger? This irritability may be the result of accumulated frustration caused by his bullies. While most parents tend to scold their kids whenever this happens, it is worth further investigating whether your kid is going through a negative period in school.
More For You
Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Knowing that your kid is being bullied is heartbreaking, but realizing that your kid is the actual bully may be even worse. Here are 13 life lessons I decided to teach my kids to prevent this.
This article was first published on the RB ITALIA Blog.
