Introduction
Sometimes, the pain is hidden. Sometimes, the scars are shown. Whatever the case is, bullying has to go.
Bullying is a deliberate, abusive and frequent behavior that entails an inequality of authority, force or control. Bullies believe and think that their targets are weak, defenceless and inferior to them, so they do what they do. This aggressive behavior can be in diverse forms such as physical, verbal, sexual, emotional, racial and cyberbullying.
It is unnerving to know the statistics of bullying all over the world. One-third of teens across the globe experience bullying based on the UNESCO Institute of Statistics' data. According to Ashley Fell, a Social Researcher in McCrindle, "The majority of Australian students have been bullied and one in five of these are bullied at least weekly." 2019 bullying cases filed by Japanese high schools are around 18,000 as reported by Statista.
Why Engineering Is An Evergreen Course? Best Evergreen OpportunitiesIn the Philippines, 6 in 10 teenagers are bullied in school as stated by ABS-CBN News in 2019. An article from Bullying Statistics notes that 1 in 4 kids in the U.S. experience bullying regularly.
These are just a bit of the tremendous bullying statistics throughout the world. The numbers are frightening and hard to believe. Without a question, this is why bullying is a menacing matter to be given serious attention and immediate response.
It is a widespread global issue that every country is addressing, but bullying is obviously hard to curtail because of many reasons - mainly victims' lack of admittance and parents' ignorance towards the problem.
If you are a parent, you need to be aware and informed about bullying and whether or not your own child is a victim of it. Most bullied kids do not report their situation, so parents lack knowledge. As a responsible parent, be concerned enough to see how well your child is doing in school, not just in academics but in all.
Be sensitive and be enlightened. Here are 6 alarming signs that your child is bullied in school! Watch out and do something!
1 - UNEXPLAINED BODILY INJURIES
The most noticeable sign of physical bullying is the presence of wounds, bruises, scratches and other skin injuries. While these marks could be involuntarily caused by bumping onto hard edges and rubbing into rough surfaces, observe how often you see them and mind how your child reacts whenever you ask what happened to them.
You will surely understand if the skin blemishes are seen twice or rarely; they may really be outcomes of little accidents with one's own actions. On the other hand, if you are seeing these wounds a number of times already, don't brush off the possibility that someone is bringing these upon him or her. Unless your child is the most reckless and clumsiest person on Earth, he or she will not go home from school with swelling and cuts every week.
Another thing to keenly consider is your children's expressions and answers whenever you see and ask what those wounds are about. Are they nervous and hesitant to answer? Do they reply with unconvincing reasons? Are they quick to change the subject? If you just discover their injuries on your own without them telling you, be wary. If you suddenly hold their arm, and they flinch in pain or avoid you, be warned.
All these visible and invisible bodily injuries and hurts can be indications that your child is bullied in school. Once fully confirmed, never be reluctant to talk to the school authority and take the necessary actions to fight for your child's right. If it arrives at the point that you will need to file charges against the bullies, child advocates, lawyers and legal help experts are willing to protect you and your kid.
2 - BROKEN OR LOST BELONGINGS
Photo credit: Public Radio TulsaSome bullies do not leave marks on their targets' bodies. They do the thing "cleanly" without obvious evidence and with elements that can be easily fabricated, so in case they are held for questioning, they can smoothly get off scot-free. It's irritating, but yes, many bullies put in all the "clever" thoughts they have just to drag their victims down.
Part of physical bullying experienced by many students is getting their things damaged or stolen by the bullies. The oppressors do this to intimidate them. When they see a new stuff owned by their targets or something they like but they don't have, they steal it or break it out of envy. Sometimes, they do these for wicked "fun".
If you see your children coming home with dirty and torn clothing, ripped books and paper materials, broken electronics, damaged bags or spilled food in their lunch boxes, investigate what happened. It will be apparent if it's a natural or man-made wreckage, so have a sharp eye and a smart mind.
3 - NOT TOO MANY FRIENDS
Photo credit: iMOMThe quality of friends matter more than the quantity. It is better to have a few real friends than a lot of fake ones. While this is true, it is important to identify and meet your kids' friends. First, that's to be sure that they are surrounded with good influence. Second, that's to know if they do have pals. Well, no man is an island, and everybody needs a friend, so it's a joy to know that they grow with nice people.
Typically, bullied kids don't have a lot of friends. There could be around 2 or 3 constants eating with them during lunch breaks. In group projects, they are the same people these kids prefer to be with. At the same time, they find it hard to make new chums, especially and even with their familiar classmates and schoolmates.
How to Choose the Best Automation System for Your Business?If you are aware that these attributes fit your child's situation, it could be a hint that he or she is bullied in school. To ascertain your hunches, try asking your child about his or her buddies in school and relationship with other classmates. You might be notified that your kid is having troubles with socialization in school because of social bullying such as religious and racial discrimination.
4 - SKIPPING SCHOOL FREQUENTLY
In the United States, the estimated number of students who dodge school to avoid getting bullied is 160,000 teenagers. This is in the U.S. alone. Can you bear counting more from other parts of the Earth?
One of the most rampant and critical proofs that a child experiences this abusive behavior from fellow students is frequently skipping school. Initially, these bullied kiddos hesitate to frankly tell their parents that they don't want to attend their classes. Their way out is pretending they feel unwell and sick. For older students and higher levels, they lie about having no scheduled classes because the professors are out.
Being absent is among the biggest escapes of bullied kids because they don't want to experience the hardships again. They are traumatized and humiliated. They would rather stay at home, locked up in their bedrooms doing nothing, than see those harsh people shattering their lives.
5 - NEGATIVE CHANGES IN CLASS PERFORMANCE
When your kids are usually absent from classes, expect that they will have poor class performance and low grades from having missed their lessons and exams. Meanwhile, if your child is always present in school, yet you monitor their test scores and project grades and notice the negative changes in them, there is something wrong.
Aside from the kid's personal study methods and surrounding distractions, a factor that might affect learning is the environment and the people around. When children are bullied in school, they tend to focus less and feel more anxious. The classroom or the school in general does not feel safe to them, so their cognitive skills are highly affected.
This topic is more worrying if your child was actually doing really well during the previous years and school quarters. Talk to his or her teachers to comprehend these changes. They can help you because they are the second parents of students in their second home.
6 - APPEARS DEPRESSED
Punches and pinches hurt and last for quite a few weeks, but hurtful and offensive words can leave pain and scars that last forever.
Beyond the crippling effects of bullying to one's physical health, bullying traumatizes the emotional and mental well-being. The outcomes are long-term. One of the most distressing, if not the most, is depression.
Anyone may experience lengthy times of loneliness, but suffering from depression is exceptionally serious. Professional mental health assistance and loving support from the family are very much needed. Bullied children most likely experience depression with clues such as keeping themselves away from loved ones, no longer joining activities they used to be passionate about and displaying apparent mood changes.
Depression is common among bullied kids because bullies make them feel unwanted, unloved and unworthy. Those mean people make them feel the worst things. As they keep these burdensome emotions to themselves, they carry it daily on their own. They avoid judgements by keeping it a secret, so it is indubitably arduous.
Beware of this sign. Many children of different ages take their lives because of it.
_____________DO SOMETHING ABOUT BULLYING
Bullying makes the victims feel hopeless and helpless. It's rare for kids to immediately tell it to their teachers and, most especially, to their parents. Usually, they handle it on their own to avoid showing weakness or to avoid being scolded and judged instead of being helped.
If your children are being bullied regardless of their ages, do not take it lightly. Be there for them. Assure them your love and protection. Gain their trust and safeguard it. Talk with their school and the parties involved. If there's a need for legal actions against bullying, there are family concern experts, lawyers, child safety programs and other concerned institutions ready to assist!
You can do something to rescue your beloved child from bullying. You can do something to stop bullying now.
_____________ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice-over artist. She finds quality and well-researched writing as a worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. For her, it's restoring and fulfilling to the heart and a great way to clear the mind while loading it up with fresh learning. Film critiquing and filmmaking are among her interests too. Giving all the glory to God, Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University-Manila, the Philippines with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Arts. Please share "6 Alarming Signs that Your Child is a Victim of Bullying in School" with Friends and Family.