Protecting children is the main job for any mum. You want to protect your son or daughter from anything that could happen but that isn’t always possible. Once children get to school, they are open to all sorts of problems, especially bullying. It can leave children depressed and there have been a number of troubling reports on the news due to cyber bullying. It’s important to find out if your child is being bullied and here are some signs.
They Become Withdrawn
If your child is usually lively and fun-loving but starts to become withdrawn, it can be a cause for concern. This is a sign that something is going on; although it may not be bullying.
Consider whether something else has happened recently, such as a death in the family or a friend leaving etc. If not, then it could be that they are struggling with being bullied.
She Doesn’t Bring Friends Over
Most children will want to ring/text their friends or bring them over at the weekend or during the week. This is great for socialising and homework help.
If you find that your children don’t bring friends home, go to friend’s houses and seem to not have any, it could be a sign that they are being bullied.
Of course, they could just prefer to remain distant, which is another problem entirely to look out for!
Her Words Tell You
She may use different words to try and let you know she’s being bullied. This could be “kids causing trouble”, some “drama” during the day or others “messing around”.
Of course, they could just be normal words that teenagers use. It all depends how often you hear her use the language, whether she’s using it around her friends and whether there are other signs that there’s trouble.
She Doesn’t Eat Her Lunch
Don’t go snooping in her bag but you need to make sure she’s eating. This isn’t just good for her health but not eating could be a sign that she’s being bullied.
She may feel like there is nowhere to go to eat, so spends her time somewhere in the school that doesn’t involve being bullied.
She Comes Home Late
If the bullying is really bad, you may find that she stays at school later than she should. Unless she has afterschool clubs or has let you know she’s studying for some homework, you need to watch out for being late home.
Some kids decide to hide somewhere until the bullies have left; or the bullies may be stopping her from leaving.
Regularly Upset with Technology
Whether it’s getting a text or checking her Facebook, children who are bullied will often feel more upset afterwards.
This is usually due to cyber bullying and you need to look out for it. If she seems upset, ask her to talk to you to explain the situation. Then you can do something about it!
She Wears Long Sleeves All the Time
It could be the middle of a heatwave and she’s wearing a long black top. This is often a sign that she’s covering up self-harm marks.
If not a long top, it could be bands around her wrists to hide the fact. Self-harming in the teenage years is often due to bullying.