millions of children are being bullied everyday at school, playgrounds, at home and more recently online. yet its often difficult for parents to recognize the problems, as victims may remain mum because they are ashamed or they think they deserve it and cannot do anything about it.
heres how to tell if your child is a victim and how best to respond.

THE SIGNS

Disliking school. something is going on if your kid suddenly doesnt want to go to class. she/he may want to avoid a bully. when children feel threatened, they tend to runaway from the situation.

Bullying others. have you noticed your child teasing other kids? bullies and victims can be the same person. imagine this scenario; a man is yelled at work by his boss and he is afraid to yell back at the boss. what does he do? he comes home and yells back at his wife the wife is afraid to yell at her husband so what does she do? she yells at the children. it flows downhill.

Appearing listless, withdrawn and irritable. understandably, victims dont feel lively and sociable. its a self esteem issue as most bullied children tend to zone out and withdraw.

Overeating. some kids may seek solace in foods. its a reliable way of making you feel good in the short run but may make the problem worse in the long run.

THE SOLUTIONS

Dont brush it off. bullying can make kids feel tense, afraid, lonely, anxious, depressed and even suicidal. blowing it off as normal "childhood behavior" is not the answer says Dr Joseph Wright Author of the American Academy of Paediatrics' policy on bullying prevention. explain that bullying is not normal or acceptable. assure the child that the bully is outrageous and that it is not the childs fault as every child naturally deserves to be treated with respect at all times by everyone.

closely monitor or even nix email and facebook accounts. cyber bullying is a growing problem. according to I-SAFE a non profit foundation, 42% of kids have been bullied while online and 35% have been threatened online. ( 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once) Lumeng says school administration have begun warning parents about the dangers of social networking. I personally encourage every parent to have a monitoring software installed on their childrens PC so as to know who and what they been up to online.

Devote more time to your child. if you are trying to get your child to be more completely truthful about what is going on at school, that isnt going to happen out of the blue. and a child who feels confident because he/she knows hes the apple of the parents eyes is often less likely to be persistently bullied.

Encourage zero tolerance in your school. sometimes kids remain silent because they see that teachers and sch admin dont take action. schools need awareness and prevention programs supported by consequences.

Tell the teacher. unless school officials know about the bullying, a child will continue to be victim ized. it is best to address the issue first with the class teacher. and if class teacher isn't up to the task, then take it to the school head or admin. but if bullying involves a legal matter, then by all means take it to the police.

Call a doctor. if you are worried your child may attempt suicide call a doctor immediately. ( signs include loss of interest in activities he used to like, change ing moods dramatically, behaving recklessly and endangering himself, talking about suicide, death and it's aftermath)

Bike walk or play together. exercise is a helpful anti-depressant. it can't hurt to get a kid out moving. doing a sport together is a healthy way to spend quality time together and strengthen family bonds too.

Encourage your child to speak up. explain that by standing up to the bully/bullies, he may help prevent other kids from being bullied in the future. This helps a victim psychologically to know that they can do something public spirited.

Address what the child is being bullied about. if kids are teasing your daughter about her weight, exercise together and serve healthier meals. and if kids are teasing your son about being a nerd, track down a math group where his numbers whiz can shine. or sign a child up for volunteer activity so he will feel useful and appreciated. and generally help your child recognise what's special about him or her.
and finally let your child know he or she is loved. it's the best medicine of all.

source: www.ivillage.com/how-to-te

I'm stil in my teen years but it would b helpful for my younger ones.

very helpful info

noted

Nice write up.

bullying isn't limited to children only. older teens and adults are pretty much vulnerable to bullying as well. and often times, bullying can make a little crack turn to a combustion in an adults psychology especially when dealing with mistakes one made in the full glare of the public.

people tend to expect that being an adult, you are fortified with inner confidence that makes bullying less resultant in harm. when actually the reverse is the case.


pls feel free to share your experiences so we can learn one or two lessons from it.

Heeeeeeeey!!! NOT APPLICABLE!!!!
Nor be the kinds wey I get for house o!
Unless nor be my DNA!!!
Impossssible!!!!!
I will advice EVEN ADULTS TO STEEEER CLEARRRR from them o!!!
JUST LIKE MY PARENT WARNED ALL ABOUT US!!!

My MAMA go say "MOLOR"(my nick name for house ), BUT IF YOU FAIN HER TROBUUU?. . . . NA DIEEEEEEE!!!! She sabi PLAY by herself WELL- WELL!!! Nor near ammmm oooooh CHINEKE!!!!!!"

Try ya luck! A MIS-trial will convince you OFF the cyber airways!!!

You berrrrrra kill em fOrst BEFORE your ATTEMPT.
The best you can do for real.