As a parent, one of your biggest fears may be to find out that your child or teen is being bullied. It may be even harder to quell your fears with everything the media comes out with - news of kids whose beatings are uploaded to YouTube or who resort to committing suicide rather than endure another day of bullying. So how can you tell whether your child is being bullied, as they may not automatically tell you what is happening?
So what are some of the things you need to look out for? Remember these 'A' adjectives as describe some of the signs of bullying.
Aloof
If your cheerful and outgoing teen suddenly shuts down and shuts you out, you should begin to ask yourself if they might be being bullied or if something else is bothering them. A bullied child may become unresponsive and secretive at home. They may choose to not participate as normal in family moments and may eventually stop interacting altogether. Take notice if they start locking themselves in their room all the time and especially if they are on the computer all the time. Spending so much time alone - they might feel like they are not getting any support and start thinking about taking drastic measures.
Angry
A child or teen who is the target of bullying may start to get into fights with their siblings. They may get mad over little things and be constantly on edge. They become constantly grumpy and may be a bit depressed. You may find it difficult to distinguish between teenage angst from bully anger though, so this is where it helps be able to sit down and have a chat.
Allergic to School
You may find that you child starts to say that they don't want to go to school...and there will often be a reason for this - as most kids hate schoolwork but they will still go to school because of friends, sports and school activities that interest them.
Abused
If your child continually comes home with bruises - then you need to start to take notice and perhaps even ask how they are getting these. If they start to do their own laundry, check their closet. Ripped shirts are a sure sign of something being wrong. If they explain bruises away, try to remember if they were that clumsy before.
If you find out that they are being hit you will need to call the school authorities and report that your child is being bullied.
Altered
Bullying will take a toll emotionally and you may see changes. They may look tired due to a lack of sleep. They may lose weight and not really eat a lot. Keep a close eye on their clothes and body.
If you suspect your child or teen is a target of bullying, get involved. Keep yourself updated on the things they do at school or with his friends. Ask them what the highlight of their day was and what parts of their day they did not like. Also talk to your child about what they are doing online as this is most likely another important part of their world. The best thing you can do is to keep the communication lines open and if you feel that something is not right, talk to them...and then show them your support, love and help.
By AJ Mior
So what are some of the things you need to look out for? Remember these 'A' adjectives as describe some of the signs of bullying.
Aloof
If your cheerful and outgoing teen suddenly shuts down and shuts you out, you should begin to ask yourself if they might be being bullied or if something else is bothering them. A bullied child may become unresponsive and secretive at home. They may choose to not participate as normal in family moments and may eventually stop interacting altogether. Take notice if they start locking themselves in their room all the time and especially if they are on the computer all the time. Spending so much time alone - they might feel like they are not getting any support and start thinking about taking drastic measures.
Angry
A child or teen who is the target of bullying may start to get into fights with their siblings. They may get mad over little things and be constantly on edge. They become constantly grumpy and may be a bit depressed. You may find it difficult to distinguish between teenage angst from bully anger though, so this is where it helps be able to sit down and have a chat.
Allergic to School
You may find that you child starts to say that they don't want to go to school...and there will often be a reason for this - as most kids hate schoolwork but they will still go to school because of friends, sports and school activities that interest them.
Abused
If your child continually comes home with bruises - then you need to start to take notice and perhaps even ask how they are getting these. If they start to do their own laundry, check their closet. Ripped shirts are a sure sign of something being wrong. If they explain bruises away, try to remember if they were that clumsy before.
If you find out that they are being hit you will need to call the school authorities and report that your child is being bullied.
Altered
Bullying will take a toll emotionally and you may see changes. They may look tired due to a lack of sleep. They may lose weight and not really eat a lot. Keep a close eye on their clothes and body.
If you suspect your child or teen is a target of bullying, get involved. Keep yourself updated on the things they do at school or with his friends. Ask them what the highlight of their day was and what parts of their day they did not like. Also talk to your child about what they are doing online as this is most likely another important part of their world. The best thing you can do is to keep the communication lines open and if you feel that something is not right, talk to them...and then show them your support, love and help.
By AJ Mior
Post a Comment