Bullying is a serious problem that exists in nearly every middle school across the entire United States. Unfortunately, many schools are not properly prepared to stop bullying from occurring on or off school grounds. When this happens, it's important as a parent to step in to protect your child. First learn the signs and effects of bullying; develop strategies to stop the torturous tradition or prevent it from occurring.
Signs of Bullying
A wide range of signs point to a child who's being affected by a bully at school. These signs vary from child to child, so it's important to look for any abnormal signs or behaviors. Common signs include not wanting to ride the bus to school, faking sick to get out of going to school, negative changes in academic performance, truancy, asking for money in the morning and stealing money to possibly pay off bullies. More serious signs include unexplained bruises and scratches.
Effects on the Victim
Bullying through middle school has both immediate impacts and probable long-term effects. Children who are bullied may develop low-self esteem. Academic performance is often affected, either through distraction in class or due to the bully being present in the same class. Sometimes a bullied child starts to bully other children or siblings as an outlet for coping with the trauma. Bullying is sometimes the instigator of depression and anxiety in a child; memories of bullying cause many victims to carry these psychological disorders well into adulthood.
Effects on the Bully
Children who take part in bullying also have short-term and long-term effects from their behavior. For example, a middle school child who takes part in bullying behavior is at a higher risk for alcohol and drug abuse as he develops into adolescence and beyond, suggests the Association for Middle Level Education. The AMLE also suggests that children who bully are more likely to drop out of school and be more prone to delinquency later in life.
What You Can Do
Parents play an essential role in stopping bullying. Any child who brings up bullying to you or an educator should be taken seriously. Do not take the stance that some teasing is expected or normal in middle school. If you see signs of bullying, ask your child directly. Follow up with concerns with middle school administrators. Do not back down. Demand that actions be taken to protect your child's safety while at school. Reassure your child through the process that they are loved to help counteract teasing or other actions by the bully that can affect self-esteem. Counteract your child's desire to withdraw from social situations because of bullying by finding a social activity that they like outside of school where the bully is not present, such as scouts, sports, an art class, a music class or other activity with a group of middle school students with similar interests.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Bullying Among Middle School and High School Students --- Massachusetts, 2009
- Middle School Journal; Bullying in Middle Schools: Prevention and Intervention; July, 2006
- Penn State Publications: Bullying -- What Parents Can Do About It.
- KidScape.org: Prevent Bullying
