National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

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October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.  For most parents, the thought of their child being bullied is a nightmare.  Unfortunately, this nightmare has become a reality to many families.  Recent statistics show that 1 out of 4 kids is bullied.  8% of students miss 1 day of class per month for fear of bullies.  282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month. (see full report here).

There is so much to know about bullying.  As parents, we must ask ourselves questions like:  Is my child a victim of bullying?  Is my child a bully?  How can I differentiate between teasing and harmful bullying?  Am I modeling behaviors that are considered bullying to or in front of my child?

It is also very important that parents keep communication open with their kids in order know what is going on in their lives and if they are being affected by bullying in any way and if.  Bullying can take many forms such as: physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, cyberbullying and hazing.  Below are some warning signs to look out for. 

Signs a Child is Being Bullied:

(from stopbullying.gov)

• Unexplainable injuries

• Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry

• Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness

• Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
• Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
• Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
• Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
• Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
• Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide

Signs a Child is Bullying Others

(from stopbullying.gov)

• Get into physical or verbal fights
• Have friends who bully others
• Are increasingly aggressive
• Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
• Have unexplained extra money or new belongings
• Blame others for their problems
• Don’t accept responsibility for their actions
• Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity

Also, check out one of our past posts on sibling bullying here.

Stay informed. Keep lines of communication open with your kids.  Let's work together to stop this harmful epidemic. 

For more information on bullying, check out the following sites:

stopbullying.gov
stompoutbullying.org
loveourchildrenusa.org