6 signs your child may be a victim of bullying

Bullying, according to the American Psychological Association, is “a form of aggressive behaviour in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words, or more subtle actions.”

The association said the bullied individual typically has trouble defending him or herself and does nothing to cause the bullying.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, noted that, “A person who bullies intends to cause pain, either through physical harm or hurtful words or behaviour, and does so repeatedly. Boys are more likely to experience physical bullying, while girls are more likely to experience psychological bullying.

“Bullying is a pattern of behaviour, rather than an isolated incident. Children who bully usually come from a perceived higher social status or position of power, such as children who are bigger, stronger, or perceived to be popular.

“The most vulnerable children face a higher risk of being bullied. These are often children from communities that are marginalized, children from poor families, children with different gender identities, children with disabilities or migrant and refugee children.”

But how do you identify when your child is a victim of bullying either in school or in the community?

Here are six signs to look out for to know whether your child is experiencing bullying.

Withdrawal from social activities

A psychologist, Dr Mathew Olasupo, said one early sign parents should look out for is withdrawal from social activities either in school or at home. The child show little or no interest in interacting with people, and sometimes their parents.

One of the early signs of bullying may include unusual withdrawal from social activities where the child stops showing interest in social activities like interacting with people or going out with the parents. This can also mean withdrawal from school or decreased interest in going school,” Olasupo said.

Also, a child development coach, Ayomide Olayiwola, said a child being bullied in school or at home would prefer to be alone. The child, he said, would believe staying away from sight is the best way to avoid being bullied. Olayiwola said the child risked socialisation defects which would impact the child’s life later in life.

She said, “A bullied child wants to isolate himself or herself from others. If it is in school, that child will prefer to stay inside the class when others are out on break.

“If the bullying happens in the area where the child lives, parents will notice their child does not want to go outside to socialise. This eventually leads to absence of effective socialisation because that child is unable to form healthy relationships with their environment and their peers.”

Unexplained injuries or frequent complaints of feeling unwell

Another early sign your child might be experiencing bullying according to Michael Jacob, a psychotherapist, is frequent unexplained bodily injuries. This is often as a result of physical assault by the bully. This could be a bruise, a black eye, or a swollen part of the face.

“One of the earliest detectable signs of bullying is injuries especially when the injuries become frequent, he said.

According to him, once parents or teachers study the child and they see unexplained injuries especially in a particular spot in the body, there should be concerns.

“This also attaches to frequent complaints of feeling unwell, pains in a particular part of the body always without any reasonable or medical explanation. This is a sign that the child might be going through bullying,” the psychotherapist added.

Sudden mood swings or emotional outbursts

Children who experience sudden mood swings or the inability to control their emotions might be experiencing bullying. Jacob believes that bullying is capable of pushing a child to forcefully change their nature which may psychologically affect their behaviour.

He said, “Once you study your child very well and you discover that a child that used to be extremely extroverted has become someone that withdraws, very calm, and introverted, that child may have been bullied. Or let’s say the child is introverted but you start to notice the child has become very aggressive such that there is aggressiveness in the child’s behaviour and unreasonable emotional outburst, this change in behaviour can mean that the child is experiencing bullying.”

Difficulty concentrating or declining grades

A child that is going through bullying will have difficulty maintaining good grades in school. Experts say this is a very common sign that can be easily noticed.

According to Jacob, this is what the parents, guardians, or teachers will notice very early, a sign of post-traumatic disorder that can be caused by bullying.

“Most times, bullying causes post-traumatic disorder. Because of this, it affects the emotions of the child which in turn affects the ability to concentrate in class. It is even worse if the bully is in the same class with the child.

“This makes them relive that experience and it affects their emotions. Since emotions drive people and people drive performance, the child’s emotions drive their person and eventually it affects academic performance leading to grades decline,” he added.C

Changes in eating or sleeping habits

Bullying can alter a child’s eating and sleeping pattern. The psychotherapist argues that a child that is being bullied can eat either excessively or excessively reduce the amount of food they eat. Sometimes, they lose appetite and sometimes, they can gain excessive appetite to eat.

“Depending on the child, the response to pain (from being bullied) can be excessive eating or lack of appetite. So, when you see that a child is showing excessive appetite to eat something or begins to show lack of appetite for the food they used to love, it can be a sign of bullying,” he noted.

On sleeping habits, the therapist said a victim of bullying woulf stay in bed more than necessary to avoid going out for fear of meeting the bully.

“A child that used to love going to school now becomes someone that deliberately sleeps beyond the waking hour. A sleeping disorder can set in as a result of this habit,” he added.

Damaged or lost belongings

It is common for schoolchildren to misplaced their belongings at school. However, a child whose belongings are frequently damaged or lost may be experiencing bullying.

Olasupo added that this might be connected to physical bullying too as the child could suffer bodily injuries in addition to damaged or lost belongings.

He said, “If the child is being physically bullied in school or in the community with the friends they play with, you may observe some scars or wounds, apart from their property being lost or damaged in the process.”

Bullying can have serious and lasting effects on children. In addition to physical harm, children may suffer from emotional and mental health issues like depression and anxiety, which can lead to substance abuse and a decline in academic performance.

It is advisable to look out for the early signs of bullying. Experts agree that it is possible children who experience bullying are having a hard time sharing their experience with their teachers or parents. They, therefore, advise parents to cultivate open communication so that their children will feel comfortable telling them (the parents) about what is happening in their lives.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).