Is your Child Being Bullied?

How to Spot the Early Signs of Abuse

Bullying is no fun. The daily torment faced by children today by their peers can
lead to developmental problems and traumatic issues in later life and in severe
cases it can even lead to the worse case scenario imaginable.

I was bullied as a child and although I managed to cope relatively well with the
daily abuse, I knew other children who got it far worse than me and at least one
of them didn’t make it through school. I say at least one, because I have no way
of knowing how well the others fared as our lives opened up and part of me
wonders if the trauma they suffered as children manifested itself in later life and
sent them down a similar path to the lad who couldn’t cope.

It was these experiences and those of others I have met over the years that
prompted me to write the book “Bullying In Schools.”

In truth, writing the book was a cathartic moment in my life and I realise even
now how deep some of our early scars can run. I wrote this book to help others
identify and deal with the terrible impact bullying can have.

Today, I want to share a few of the book’s key takeaways in the hope that
readers can spot the early signs of bullying and cut it out at the roots. So, please
take a few minutes to read over the rest of the article. If you hear any alarm bells,
feel free to reach out to me personally or follow some of the helpful links at the
end of this article, you can also read more in my book, but that’s honestly not
why I’m here today.
In my mind, bullying is a cancer and like all cancers the faster and more
aggressively you treat it the better chance you have of getting clear of it. In the
following paragraphs I’ve listed some early warnings signs to watch for.

Sign One
Children are good at hiding secrets: bullying can take many forms, but some
common ones to watch for are physical, financial, and emotional domination.

The first thing to look for is your child’s attitude to school in general. Are they
happy to go? Are they often purposely late, or early? Do they talk fondly about it?
If you get the impression that they dread school, it could be more than the typical
academic apathy we all get sometimes.

The next thing to watch for is their physical well-being. Does your child often
have bruises or grazes or other marks? Do you find their clothes are torn or
damaged? Damaged clothing can be a sign of fighting or defence, or even just
abuse itself.

Another thing to consider is their property. Does your child appear to lose things
a lot? Do they come home without their coat or bag or i-pod or phone? Do they
ask for money? If your child appears to misplace these things or is often short of
money for lunches etc. there’s a chance they could be being extorted.

Sign Two
We manifest our feelings in different ways as kids. If your child seems frustrated
or angry or suffers mood swings, there is a chance they are trying to vent the
trauma they are suffering in class. Key moments to watch for such behaviour can
be late Sunday night, when the sanctuary of the weekend draws in and the
realization that they must face the terror again in the morning kicks in, and also
after they check their phones or computers.

Bullies will often find ways to get into a child’s head out of the reach of school
and sadly the instant fix and relative anonymity of social media is the ideal
weapon.

Sign Three
In severe cases of bullying children can turn to extreme measures to cope. Self-
harm can often result because of the abuse kids suffer from their classmates.
Look for bracelets and bangles covering their wrists and without being too
obvious keep an eye on less visible areas of the skin like the upper thighs and
chest.

If you spot any of these portents or even suspect your child may be hiding some
of them, please seek immediate help. Bullying is a nasty business, but it is also a
complex issue and by highlighting it and acting on it you can not only protect
your own child, you might even find you end up helping the perpetrator
themselves as bullying can itself be a sign of trauma.

I sincerely hope this article has helped you in some way and if you think your
child or anyone you care about is the victim of bullying then don’t hesitate to
reach out. Find out how you can prevent bullying at school and ensure your child
enjoys a happy and fulfilled school life by Clicking Here To Learn More