Bullying is more prevalent in our schools than we may think, in fact studies show that between 15-25% of students are bullied each year. Bullying is intentionally aggressive behavior of one child towards another and can be physical, verbal, emotional (e.g.- intentionally excluding someone), and is increasingly being done over the internet. Serious consequences can occur when parents and teachers don’t intervene. Children who are repeatedly bullied have been found to be more depressed, anxious, withdrawn, and have more problems with their schoolwork than their peers.
Here are some signs that your child is being bullied and things you can do about it:

• is afraid to attend school or walk/ride bus to school alone
• refuses to participate in after school activities
• suddenly starts to perform poorly in school
• appears increasingly depressed or anxious
• is often sick for unexplainable reasons (frequent headaches, stomachaches)
• suddenly has trouble sleeping
• has a sudden change of eating habits (either eating much more or less)

If your child has one or more of the above signs, they aren’t necessarily being bullied, but trying to talk to him can help to get to the bottom of what is going on. Talking to your kids about this kind of stuff can be difficult, especially if they have been particularly moody or anxious because of it, but they’ll more than likely be relieved that you have noticed. Here are some ideas of how to start a conversation:

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