GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's back-to-school time. A school is a place where children learn, develop, and grow. Outside of learning, they form friendships. Sometimes, children have difficulties with other kids. It's an unfortunate truth of life that we don't get along with everyone. As parents, you may not know what's happening with your child if they don't tell you.
According to Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition, 24% of children who have been bullied don't tell a parent, and 28% never tell anyone. The reasons why children remain silent are varied. Some children don't think that anyone can help stop the bullying. Others think that if they tell anyone, then the bullying will get worse. Others are embarrassed to tell.
Here are possible signs that your child might be a victim of bullying. Some children don't want to go to school anymore and tend to have psychosomatic complaints such as headaches, stomachaches, and general unwell feelings. They might lose their appetite and subsequently lose weight. They might want to avoid certain classmates or places such as the school bathroom, gym, bus, or cafeteria. They might lose interest in hanging out with any of their friends and keep to themselves. Some kids might feel like they aren't good enough or don't measure up to others. It's important to ask your child questions about what's happening. Children tend to respond better to direct questions.
To help protect your child from bullying, teaching them ways to be assertive is important. To speak up for themselves. To help protect their emotional health, it's important that they know what other kids think about them isn't as important then what they feel about themselves. Someone's opinion doesn't define them. Increasing your child's resilience level is important so they bounce back quicker. Realize that having a couple of close friends and not being the most popular kid is what your child needs to flourish and combat loneliness.
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