Signs to watch out for if you think your child may be being bullied... It can be difficult to know if your child is involved in bullying. Some children may hide their feelings and may be reluctant to tell anyone. Other children may have difficulties communicating what is happening to them. Some children with social or communication difficulties may not realise they are being bullied.
“My son has been bullied on school transport. He was a victim of ‘happy slapping’ but didn’t tell us about it because he thought the boys were being his friends….We found out about it not from our son but through a friend whose daughter had come home crying as she was so upset about what she had witnessed on the bus.”
“It’s really hard to find out from him what’s happening. He doesn’t realise that it’s bullying and that they’re not just playing.”
This is what other parents who have experienced bullying have told us when we asked them how they realised their child was being bullied. They came up with a number of clues that you can look for in your child which may mean that they’re involved in bullying:
- Becoming withdrawn.
- Coming home with cuts and bruises.
- Losing belongings.
- Reluctant to go to school or to a youth club – anywhere where the bullies are.
- Doing less well at their schoolwork.
- Changes in their mood, becoming depressed, angry, unhappy.
- Changes in their behaviour, for example wetting the bed.
- Showing aggression at home with siblings and other family members.
- Feeling anxious.
- Difficulties sleeping.
- Wanting to change their journey or time of their journey to school.