Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical, and/or social behavior that intends to cause physical, social, and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening. 

What bullying is NOT:

• single episodes of social rejection or dislike

• single episode acts of spite

• random acts of aggression or intimidation

• mutual arguments, disagreements, or fights.

These actions can cause great distress. However, they do not fit the definition of bullying, and they’re not examples of bullying unless someone is deliberately and repeatedly doing them.

There are many different types of bullying that can be experienced by children and adults alike; some are obvious to notice, while others can be more subtle. The different types of bullying that we look at below are some ways that bullying could happen.

Look for changes in the child. However, be aware that not all children who are bullied exhibit warning signs.

Some signs that may point to a bullying problem are: 

• Unexplainable injuries

• Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry

• 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

 Signs a child is bullying others

Kids may be bullying others if they:   

• 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

The first recommended step is to try to get your child to open up about what's happening in their life by showing them that you understand and won’t judge them.