Signs Your Child is Being Bullied l Tips on Dealing with Bullies l Signs of Bullying l Kids Struggling with Bullying

Bullying has really evolved over the years and has drawn great concern from parents nationwide. What was dismissed as just “growing pains” and just being a part of childhood is growing into a serious problem. Bullying is a grave concern for youths, educators, parents and for society. It has grown beyond taunts and now there is a strong link of bullying being connected with suicide. Kids that are bullied are up to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University. Stopbullying.gov reported an estimated 15 percent of high school students were electronically bullied in 2015. About 49 percent of children starting in the 4th grade claimed that they were bullied at least once a month. These stats are staggering and should not be taken lightly. As parents we need to respond and prevent bullying. Here are 5 signs that your child is being bullied.

They are Withdrawing From Social Media

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Bullying online is gaining steam on social media platforms like Facebook. About 50 percent of students reported being bullied online, and about 70 percent of students witnessed being bullied online. If online bullying is suspected, purchase software programs like Mobile Spy to monitor logins and activities. This can be installed on smartphones, tablets and the personal computer. If kids are isolated in their rooms and you can verify their time online, cyberbullying may be at play. If they are refraining from being online, depressed, or threatening to quit school—you need to take action. It is better to be involved than to not know what is going on.

They Have Physical Signs

If your kid is coming home with cuts or bruises--they could be fighting and they could be bullied. Things like pushing, tripping, hitting or spitting is unacceptable. The gut reaction is to tell your child to retaliate, but not all kids can defend themselves. Ask them in a stoic matter what happened to them. If you believe that malice in at play make an appointment with the teacher and the principle when the kids are not in school. Make sure you document the incidents and your meetings with school officials. If it becomes worse, contact the school board or contact local authorities. If your kid is receiving threats or anonymous threats, this does more than damage their self-esteem--it could put them in danger. Be proactive if you believe your child is a victim of physical abuse.