Is Your Child Being Bullied?

Most of us can remember an episode of bullying from our childhood. Even if we were not the victim or a bully, we know someone else who was. Bullying has always been around. Sadly, the fact that it has always been around makes many people take it less seriously than they should.

The fact is that in North Carolina, approximately 233, 000 children were involved in bullying either as a victim or being a bully. According to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, approximately 160,000 children nationwide miss school every day due to fear of an attack by a bully. What a sad commentary on us as adults that we are not protecting our children and taking the bullying as seriously as we should.

As a result of our negligence, teenagers are committing suicide to escape the bullying. 14 year old Ashley Rogers of Kernersville is one of the latest bullying statistics. Two fellow students had been sending her harassing texts several days before she took her life. Most people who commit suicide feel they are in a hopeless situation. How horribly sad that a young person such as Ashley felt she had no recourse other than to commit suicide.

How do you know if your child is being bullied? Here are 5 signs to look for:

-Reluctance to go to school. A child who is being bullied will not want to go to school. If you notice a sudden disinterest in attending school, this is a red flag.

-Difficulty sleeping. A bullied child will feel so much anxiety he or she will have trouble sleeping, for fear of how to deal with the next attack.

-Physical symptoms. A bullied child will often manifest physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches. These symptoms are a result of the anxiety they are experiencing.

-Depression. A bullied child will often appear sad or deep in thought.

-A drop in grades at school. A bullied child is spending more time worrying about how to deal with the next bullying incident than he or she is about studying.

Many of these symptoms are also symptoms of other things such as child abuse or molestation. That is why it is very important for you to talk to your child. Ask questions if you notice any of the above symptoms in your child or if you notice any sudden change in your child's behavior. Most children are reluctant to approach parents if they are being bullied because they are afraid that the parents will do something that will only escalate the bullying. It can also be a source of embarrassment to the child.

Bullying is a growing problem, and one of the reasons it is growing is because of social media. Internet bullying is quickly growing, and is often done anonymously with the same harmful results.

In my next article, I will discuss what to do if you discover that your child is being bullied.

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