Dear Bulldog,
What are some signs I might notice if my child is being bullied?
Thanks,
From a Concerned Mom
Dear Concerned Mom,
This is often a difficult question for us as each child reacts differently to bullying. There are a few signs that are often the biggest tells, but just follow your gut and ask open ended questions. Try to remain calm and open when questioning your child. Remember to come from a place of care, compassion, and concern. It is hard when we see our children suffer, but if we react in a visceral way, it might cause our child to shut down. So be aware of your own reactions when addressing your child.
Most Common Signs Children are Being Bullied:
- Children start acting out at home: If they are being terrorized at school, then most probably they will react aggressively at home. They need to get that stuff out and they might not know how to talk about it.
- Emotional Outburst: They start crying for no reason, yelling for no reason, snapping back at you when you are just asking a question. Watch out for the emotional meltdowns.
- Missing School: They start pretending to be sick or start wanting to stay home from school. They might even start skipping after school activities. They can also start getting really anxious on Sunday night dreading Monday morning.
- Disengaging or Isolating Themselves: They might shut themselves in their room for hours or start missing family engagements. Some children start obsessing about their online activity and lock themselves in their room and isolate themselves from their daily lives and friends. So watch out for signs of isolation.
- Bullying Siblings: Children that suffer from bullying often turn to their siblings and model the behaviors. So pay attention to sibling fighting and intervene to help them resolve not solve the problem.
We hope this gives you some insights as there are many signs, but we don’t want to overlook anything when our children are suffering from bullying.
Love,
Bulldog