4 signs your child might be being bullied

No parent wants to see or hear about their child being bullied. But what are the warning signs? What do you need to look out for?

Psychotherapist Dr. Erin Leonard tells us what parents need to know: 

Bullying Awareness Month:

4 signs your child might be being bullied

1) Suddenly, they have anxiety about going to school.

2) They are withdrawn and have lost interest in activities they once enjoyed.

3) They say self-loathing statements such as “I hate myself” or “I can’t do anything right.” 

4) They have trouble sleeping.

Important considerations for parents: 

1) Bullies are usually covert and sneaky. They’ll be nice to their target in front of parents, adults, and coaches, but they’ll bully behind closed doors or using social media. 

2) Bullies intentionally exclude one person from an an activity, but act like it was an accident. Then, the other kids go along with the bully because they don’t want to be the next one excluded. 

3) Bullies play the victim when they are confronted. They attempt to distort what happened to make it seem like they were the victim and the other child is the bully. 

Parents need to be calm, patient, and strategic. Because the bully and their parents may have trouble taking responsibility for themselves, they’ll attempt to deny the incident and distort the situation in a way that blames the innocent child. Attempt to capture the bullying and then bring it to the principal. 

To learn more, visit www.drerinleonard.com.