Signs Your Child May be the Victim of Bullying
If your child is a victim of bullying, there are a few signs to look out for. Often children suffer in silence, so it’s our job as parents to pick up on any changes in their behaviour. From favourite toys suddenly showing damage or going missing, to taking time off school sick, when there really appears to be nothing wrong, we’ve compiled a list of signs that could possibly point to your child being a bully victim at school:
A drop in marks
If your child is being bullied at school, they aren’t going to be paying much attention in class. If you notice a sudden severe drop in their marks, then you should be talking to your child about what’s causing their grades to drop.
Big change in mood
If your child is usually very carefree and now has become anxious and unpredictable, it could be the stress of being bullied is causing he/she to act this way.
Poor behaviour towards younger siblings
Many children who are bullied take their frustrations out on younger siblings at home. They could start shoving  them, destroying their drawings and just begin to act mean towards them.
Unexplained marks or bruises
Kids are always going to get bumps and scratches while playing, but if you are noticing that your child seems to have more than the usual, then this could point to something happening to them on the playground involving other children.
Pretending to be sick
We all have our off days when we’d rather stay at home then go to school or work. However if your child seems to be constantly saying they feel sick when you know yourself, they are faking sickness to stay home, it could be to avoid someone who is bullying them at school.
Wants to bring lunch
Bullying mostly occurs during break times during the day. Lunch time being the most common time of day when incidents occur. If your child is asking to only ever bring their lunch when they used to love buying it, this could be because they are forced to give over their lunch money to a bully.
Damage or loss of their property
It was only a few weeks ago that the toy your child picked out from a range of online toys was his pride and joy and he wouldn’t be separated from it. After a day at school, it comes home completely damaged or worse yet your child says he’s lost it.
Knowing whether or not your child is the victim of bullying can often be tough because kids find it difficult to open up about these things. But if you know the signs to look for then you can be on the look out for any behavioural changes that suggest the need to talk to your child and find out what’s going on.
