Child Behavior and Bullying

There are more and more episodes of bullying being reported on the news today. This is becoming a severe problem in our country. Sure, bullies have always been around but with the technology that kids are exposed to now, the bullying can be nonstop. Follow these parenting advice so you can recognize the child behavior signs associated with bullying.

Watch for Withdrawal

One of the earliest child behavior signs that bullied children exhibit is withdrawal. Even young children start to close themselves away in their bedrooms and avoid contact with everyone, including family members. Bullying makes a child feel isolated and alone and the emotional trauma causes them to retreat and isolate themselves further. Most tips for parents suggest that if this child behavior is allowed to go on for a period of time, irreparable damage could be done to the child’s psyche.

Beware of Bruising

Many children who are bullied by others are physically assaulted by them as well. One of the best tips for parents is to be aware of any suspicious bruising on your child. A child who has been assaulted by others might flinch when approached or touched. This is a classic and common child behavior exhibited when someone has been or is being bullied.

Forgetting about Friends

Children who are being bullied often begin to disassociate themselves from their friends. They will no longer run home and want to go out to play. Usually, bullied kids do their best to hide themselves away from the world. When this child behavior surfaces, the child is beginning to believe everything that the bullies are saying about them. It is essential for parents to recognize these child behavior signs and find out what is going on immediately.

Speaking of Suicide

Although young children rarely use the word “suicide”, but at times, kids might say that they want to die or want to kill themselves. Hopefully, you will have acted before the bullying got to this extreme level. If a child behaves like this, you need to talk to your child gently and be loving towards your child.

Stand Up for Your Child

Being a parent, you must act as soon as you find out that your child is a victim of bullying. Rarely will a child admit that he is being bullied. You’ll need to recognize the signs on your own and do a little bit of investigation.

You should contact your child’s teacher for an appointment. Inform her that you don’t want your child to know about your meeting. Explain to her that your child is exhibiting typical child behavior signs associated with being bullied. Tell her that you expect that she watch your child carefully to see if anyone is victimizing your child and that she report back to you in a few days.

A lot of bullying occurs on the school bus. Many school districts have security cameras on the buses. You can schedule an appointment with the principal and tell him that you would like to review all bus tapes for the past month. Legally, you are allowed to do so.

Talk to a Therapist

Your child might be too embarrassed to talk to you about his problem with bullies. It would be best if you set up an appointment with a child behavior psychologist. Many kids balk at the thought of a therapist, but you will need to use your delicate positive parenting techniques to help your child recognize that he can’t handle this problem on his own.