15 Signs That Your Child Is Being Bullied

Bullying has been something that has troubled our youth for a long time. Unfortunately, with the growth of the Internet and Social Media sites, the possibilities for this to happen to a child has increased tremendously. Most children that are going through this won't always ask for help. Unless you know the warning signs of bullying your child could be crying for help and you might not even know it. With these red flags, you should be able to tell if your child is going through something or not. Now keep in mind not all the time do these mean your child is being bullied but it is always good to be on top of things so you know and are aware of any changes they may be going through.

1Your Child has Injuries that they can’t Explain How they got there

Is your child suddenly coming home from school with unexplainable bruises and marks on their body? If so you might want to question them further and probe and see if they will open up to you. Children are fearful when admitting to the fact they are being bullied for fearful retaliation. You might want to consider visiting your child’s school during recess and lunch unannounced to see what is exactly going on. If it does turn out that your child is being victimized, then it’s time to speak to the school administration which should include a meeting with the teacher and counselor so that you can get the issue resolved. 

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2Missing Items

Another telltale sign that your child is being bullied is suddenly they lose phones, headsets and other expensive electronic devices without any explanation. We all know kids lose stuff and most of the time they will tell us that is what happened. However, if your child says they lost an expensive item say for example an iPhone but really don’t have any recollection as to where it went or what happened then that is definitely a red flag. Most bullies will use these types of tactics threatening the child to harm them if they don’t give up that nice new device that they wish they could have. In fact, studies have shown that 27.3% of students have had their items stolen by their bully. 

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3Your Child Spends A lot of Time on the Computer or another Electronic Device

Now just because your child is on their computer or electronic device doesn’t always mean they are a victim. However, if your child suddenly closes their phone or gets upset when you ask why they’re on the computer or another device so long then you might want to research this. Did you know that 9% of children in grades 6-12 have experienced cyberbullying? This is quite common where the bully uses the internet and social media to taunt their victims and make fun of them often ostracizing them from the rest of their social circle. Know the signs so that you can help your child. A best practice is to set up guidelines for online and internet usage so that you can monitor and see what is going on. In fact, many of these platforms have settings that you can implement to monitor your child and their activity online.

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4Your Child Is Always Sick or Doesn’t Want to Go to School

Another common factor amongst bullied children is the unease they experience when it is time to go to school. If your child is suddenly asking your permission to stay home saying they have a headache or upset stomach and you notice it is happening frequently then this could be a big indicator of something brewing in your child’s social and school life. Another thing to keep in mind is if your child is suddenly sick every Monday that is something you want to consider as well. Children that are being bullied are often wanting to stay home on Monday as they dread returning to school and seeing their bully. One way you could confront this issue is to take your child to the doctor since they are saying they are sick and just explain to your physician your concerns. Sometimes children will open up to the family doctor. 

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