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Schools have had bullies since public schools started. Either they picked on the other students because they were bigger, or because they needed to feel better about themselves by putting others down. The problem hasn’t stopped; in fact it has gotten worse in recent years. Often times it takes us parents to notice these things. Schools may be trying but kids are getting smarter and know how to dodge the instances in where they can get in to trouble. You may be wondering if your child could be getting bullied at school.

How do you tell if your child is being bullied? There are certain warning signs that may indicate your child is being bullied.

They may include, but are not limited to:

• Coming home with torn clothing, and/or constantly losing clothing, books, or other things that belong to them.
• Finding that they have cuts or bruises when they return home that they didn’t have when they left for school.
• Having very few friends, and the ones they do have they don’t spend much time with.
• Appearing to be afraid of going to school, being a part of organized activities at school, or riding the bus to and from school.
• Beginning to complain about having a headache, stomach ache, or other things that will keep them at home.
• Starting to wet the bed.
• Personality changes such as being moody, overly sensitive, angry, or depressed.

If your child begins to act in any of the above ways it doesn’t necessarily mean that your child is being bullied at school. It could be that there is something else going on that is causing them stress. The best thing you can do to figure out what’s going on is to talk openly and honestly with your child.

Don’t be afraid to ask them point blank if they’re being bullied at school. If they tell you that they are, tell your child to keep track of all bullying in a journal. Have them include the name of the people involved, when and where it happened, what the bullying was in as much detail as possible, and if anyone else witnessed the incident.

It’s time to take action as soon as you know that bullying has occurred. Contact your child’s teacher and let them know of your concerns. Ask the teacher if they have seen any times when your child has been bullied. You may also ask if your child gets along with the other students in class besides the ones bullying.

If nothing changes after your meeting with the teacher, speak with the principal of the school. They should have a policy regarding bullying, so they need to be aware of the problem. Be sure to take notes from each meeting you have with anyone in the school system.

No one wants their child to be bullied at school but it happens all too often. Pay attention to your child and how they act. Talk to them if you feel bullying may be a possibility. Then talk with the teacher or principal to report the problem and see what can be done to change it.