Bullying is never okay. And most of the time, it is disregarded as something petty and harmless without full understanding of its effects on individuals. The truth is, each and everyone of us have our own receivers of information, for some it may be a simple joke, but it can also be an offense to others, some may take things lightly, and for some, it may be the end of the world. Bullying is a serious issue that can have long-lasting effects, especially on children who develop all of their foundational skills in their age. The effects of being bullied can be both physical and psychological, and they can have a significant impact on one’s overall well-being.
To give importance to its effects, here we enumerate 5 ways to know if your kid is being bullied.
- Sleep Problems – Sleep is the greatest form of rest we can have, and not being able to stay asleep is a sign of panic, worry, anxiety, restlessness, maybe even fear. If your child used to sleep all night without any problems, then suddenly can’t, or is having frequent nightmares, maybe something big is bothering them.
- Unexplained injuries – Why are they wearing a turtleneck in the middle of summer? Bruises, black eyes, skin scratches are some of the things that you need to examine your child for, especially when they are not the ‘go out and play aggressively all day’ type of kid. Moreover, changes in their body language and how they act is a crucial thing to do in looking for signs of pain and discomfort, that can also be signs of your child being bullied.
- Lost Items – Jewelry, gadgets, and sentimental items are just some examples of things that can be lost randomly. Special cases of these things being missing is an exception, but if it persists for a consistent amount of time, this may be because your child is being bullied into surrendering these things in exchange for their peace. Bullies tend to take advantage of these situations as they have assurance of getting what they want.
- Improved Acting – This may be evident in mornings when your kid suddenly asks to skip school. When they are acting normal and fine in the evening, and then suddenly become sick in the morning when it’s time to get ready. This may be a sign of your kid wanting to avoid someone that may be bullying or bothering them.
- Withdrawal – Stuck in their room, away from civilization. Your jolly and social butterfly kid may become withdrawn all of a sudden if someone was picking on their every move. Everything they do is being criticized, laughed at, or questioned. Everything they say is ridiculed, disregarded, or ignored. And their appearance may be judged, made fun of, or mocked. These things are what makes a person, what more a child, feel insecure about themselves, and the only thing that prevents these things from happening is to be isolated, away from everyone’s opinion.
Furthermore, we have to acknowledge that there are two characters in every story, the kid being bullied, and the bully itself. As a bonus, how can you tell if your kid is THE BULLY? Here are some things to look out for.
- They hang with THE bully – when your child hangs out with the bigger, more popular kids at school who act like they own it. Chances are, your kid is one of them too.
- Frequent Fist Fights – When they engage in arguments and fights all the time, due to their ego being hurt or them wanting to prove authority and power.
- Home is where the Principal is – With fights and unruly behavior, comes the trips to the principal’s office.
Overall, the effects of being bullied are far-reaching and can impact an individual’s life in numerous ways.
It is important for schools and communities to take steps to prevent bullying and provide support for those who have been affected by it. Being bullied as a kid is not something anyone should have to endure. It’s important for parents, teachers, and other adults to be aware of the signs of bullying so they can intervene early on before it becomes too severe. No child should ever feel alone or powerless because they are being targeted by bullies. At the end of the day, we all should just be kind, and teach our children to do so as well.
Dr. Kre Johnson is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician and the sole owner of Brownstone Healthcare and Aesthetics. She is the Medical Director of the City of Birmingham’s Employee Health Clinic-Brownstone BWell Birmingham. She is the Event Producer of Wifeology and the founder of Three Twenty Girls, Inc. She loves God, traveling, and all things Southern!!
Brownstone BWell: Brownstone Healthcare has partnered with the City of Birmingham to offer primary care services to the employees of the City of Birmingham for $0 copayment. This partnership is for preventative services & screenings and sick visits. We partner with your current primary care physician and our goal is to keep you out of the ER and urgent care. We do not share your information with the City of Birmingham. We uphold HIPPA and professional standards. You can visit us at our downtown location 1700 5th Ave N Birmingham, AL 35203 or Trussville: 4643 Camp Coleman Road #117 Trussville, AL 35173 205-202-5650 call for your appointment today.
