School bullying is becoming an increasingly alarming problem. In fact, the most shocking cases end up on the front pages of the newspapers, but the truth is that there are thousands more anonymous cases , of children who suffer day after day the abuse of their peers.
A lot of times these children are threatened, so they are afraid to tell what they it’s happening to them, even to their parents. Therefore, it is important that you maintain constant communication with your child and know the main signs that indicate that he could be suffering from bullying.
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Possible signs of harassment and intimidation in children
1. Mood swings
If you notice that lately your child is more sad, stressed and/or anxious than usual, there is probably a problem. In fact, in In cases of bullying, it is common for there to be sudden mood swings for no apparent reason, for the child to get angry, irritated, frustrated or easily shaken by any stimulus.
2. Decrease in school performance
When the child is being bullied and has to deal with fear day after day, it is difficult for him to continue concentrating on his studies, so his school performance tends to decrease.
3. Negative attitude towards school
In many cases, children do not speak openly about what is happening to them but express their discomfort through general phrases. If the child has never had problems before and starts saying he “hates school” or makes excuses not to go, like pretending to be sick, he’s probably going to have a problem at school.
4. Loss or increase in appetite
In some cases, bullying and harassment cause such emotional distress that the child loses his appetite. In other cases, just the opposite can happen, since stress can also exacerbate appetite.
5. He comes home with broken belongings
It is likely that the children who bully your child will steal or break some of his school materials, so if on more than one occasion he has come to home with his things broken and he doesn’t want to explain what happened, maybe it’s a case of bullying.
6. Low self-esteem
Bullying and bullying deeply damage children’s self-esteem. When the child is ridiculed or hit and feels helpless and powerless, it is normal for him to start thinking that he is not strong or smart enough to deal with the aggression. Therefore, it is important that you pay attention to the phrases your child uses to refer to himself.
7. Changes in his social circle
If your son suddenly does not want to go to the group of friends or you notice that he no longer invites anyone to the house, he may be the victim of bullying. In fact, it has been appreciated that the most vulnerable children are precisely those who are more withdrawn and have fewer social skills, since the group of friends acts as a protective agent.
8. Refusing to attend after-school activities
Bullying is often even more intense at after-school activities since children do not have constant teacher supervision. Therefore, if your child suddenly begins to reject them, it is likely that a classmate is bothering him.
9. Self-destructive behavior
Some children direct the frustration, resentment, and anger that bullying causes against themselves. As a result, they may begin to engage in self-destructive behaviors, such as running away from home or inflicting injuries that they will try to hide by wearing pants or long-sleeved shirts.
10. You feel bad after surfing the Internet
Currently many cases of bullying and harassment are carried out through social networks, especially when children are older. Therefore, it is important that you pay attention to their reaction when they receive a message or when they finish browsing the Internet.