FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES WHAT TO DO IF A CHILD IS BEING BULLIED! WHAT IS BULLYING? Bullying among children is aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power or strength. A child who is being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself. Bullying can take many forms, such as: hitting and/or punching (physical bullying); teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying); intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying); and sending insulting messages by phone or computer e-mail (cyber bullying). Usually, bullying is repeated over time. Many children, particularly boys and older children and youth, do not tell their parents or adults at school about being bullied. It is important that adults are vigilant to possible signs of bullying. WARNING SIGNS Possible warning signs that a child is being bullied: • Comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other belongings • Has unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches • Has few, if any friends, with whom he or she spends time • Seems afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus, or taking part in organized activities with peers (such as clubs) • Takes a long, “illogical” route when walking to or from school • Has lost interest in school work or suddenly begins to do poorly in school • Appears sad, moody, teary, or depressed when he or she comes home • Complains frequently of headaches, stomach aches, or other physical ailments • Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams • Experiences a loss of appetite • Appears anxious and/or suffers from low self-esteem EFFECTS OF BULLYING Bullying can have serious consequences. Children and youth who are bullied are more likely than other children to: • Be depressed, lonely, anxious • Have low self-esteem • Be absent from school • Feel sick • Think about suicide REPORTING BULLYING TO PARENTS Children frequently do not tell their parents that they are being bullied because they are embarrassed, ashamed, frightened of the children who are bullying them, or afraid of being seen as a “tattler.” If your child tells you about being bullied, it has taken a lot of courage to do so. Your child needs your help to stop the bullying.