How do you know if your child is being bullied? What are the signs?
Here are some things that should key your attention:
1. An - A - student rapidly drops to a - C - student.
2. Bruises or cuts that your child blames on other things.
3. A general depressed view of life.
4. A sudden unexplained aversion to wanting to go to school.
5. Vanishing lunch money.
6. Getting in trouble for fights that your child swears he or she didn't start.
All of these signs spell trouble, and need to be investigated further. You as the parent need to put lots of attention on solving the problem. If you ignore it, your child could at the least suffer lower self-esteem, poor grades, little self-confidence and a future of the same. At worse, your child could be physically hurt, or could even be killed.
What can you do to help your child if he or she is being bullied? If you are going to choose to under-react or over-react, it's vital that you over-react. Remember, the problem must be stopped immediately.
Talk to your child to find out who the bully is and what he or she has been doing to your child. This may be difficult, because most kids are ashamed to let their parents know what awful things have been done to them. You must press on and find out all the details. Either the same day you find out, or early the next morning go to the school and talk to the highest-ranked person there (probably the principal) and scream bloody murder.
Once again, over-react. If you are gentle in your approach with the school, little if anything will be done. Demand that the bully be taken out of that class, or expelled from the school. Threaten law suits against the school and against the parents of the bully if there is even the slightest bullying against your child. If you don't get results go to the school board, pursue legal action.
