Information for Adults

Some signs of a child being bullied are

• Unexplainable injuries
• Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, jewelry, or other possessions.
• Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
• Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
• Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
• Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
• Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
• Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
• Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide

Some signs that your child is bullying others are

• Get into physical or verbal fights
• Have friends who bully others
• Are increasingly aggressive
• Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
• Have unexplained extra money or new belongings
• Blame others for their problems
• Don’t accept responsibility for their actions
• Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity

Some of these "symptoms" have a very blurred line between what I have here and just a kid in grade school. Some of them should not be the only thing used to decide if a person is being a bully or being bullied. You should have multiple different pieces of evidence going in to anything.