Classroom Bullying Stresses Kids (and Moms) Out
By Dawn Papandrea on November 17th, 2009 • 1 Comment
It’s something many kids go through — nearly half, according to a new study. Many of you probably dealt with it when you were younger. Now as parents, the idea of it happening to your child just makes you fearful and sad. It’s becoming the victim of a school bully.
The study, presented recently at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting in Philadelphia, is based on survey results from more than 10,000 middle-school students who anonymously answered questions online.
Here’s the frightening part…
Bullies did much of their intimidating in the classroom, lunchroom and school hallways, the researchers found. Those who were bullied in the classroom felt more threatened and unsafe on campus than other students.
You’d think that being under the supervision of teachers and other adults would at the very least keep your child protected in and around the classroom. But contrary to the idea that most bullying takes place in the schoolyard, kids feel just as intimidated in class. That’s why it’s important to teach your child about standing up for him or herself, and speaking up to you to let you know what’s going on in school. We often hear about these situations when they’ve already been going on for too long.
For some great tips and advice on how to deal with bullying and stop it in its tracks, visit Stop Bullying Now! Here are some warning signs from the site that your child might be getting bullied:
- Comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other belongings
- Has unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches
- 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)
- 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
- Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams
- Appears anxious and suffers from low self-esteem.
Being a kid is tough, but if we tell our kids that they can come to us about anything at all — even the embarrassing stuff! – maybe we can help them through it before it gets out of hand. Letting them know that we went through the same sort of teasing at one time or another might help them realize you understand what they’re going through.
Let’s hope it’s an issue we don’t have to deal with. But knowing there are resources out there to help makes me feel slightly better.
Did you ever have to help your child deal with a bully? Tell us about it!
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