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Children who
are experiencing
bullying tend to
be very fragile
because of trauma
and anxiety.
Parenting for Health
and Wellness
Bullying: When Your
Child is the Victim
By Sarah Brokamp, Staff Writer
Bullying has been an issue for generations, transforming and evolving to
fit societal pressures. Children taunt
and victimize because, like humans of
all ages, they are curious about power
and competition. They take note of
what is “cool” and use it to compartmentalize the children they socialize
with. When a child is being bullied,
it is often because other children feel
he or she does not meet the standards
that come with “fitting in.” Children
who are different are usually the ones
bullies harass. Sometimes a child is
bullied because he or she is in a societal class that is seen as inferior. Other
times bullying can be due to certain
beliefs the bullied child has or because
of his or her sexual orientation. In
many cases, a child is bullied simply
due to his or her appearance. Though
the reasons a child is being victimized
do vary, these reasons are always inexcusable.
The ages where bullying is prevalent (from age 12-18) are times when
children are most insecure and are
trying their hand at building power
and confidence. It is fair to say that
your child will one day have a turn at
one aspect of bullying, either victim or
perpetrator – or maybe both. Bullying
can have serious repercussions, especially for the victim. In 2013, the
Centers for Disease Control’s Youth
Risk Behavior Surveillance reported
on average, across 39 states, 7.2 percent of students admitted they did not
attend school due to bullying. If a child
feels unsafe, a good-quality education
becomes harder to attain because of
fear and an inability to focus. The frequency of childhood bullying means
parents must be educated about its
causes and effects.
It is usually difficult to determine if
your child is being bullied, so keeping
watch for the warning signs is a must.
Listed below are possible signs that
your child is being victimized and
needs parental support:
• Reluctance to go to school or
participate in school-related
events.
• A sudden shift in personality (a
child who was once extroverted
is now introverted).
• The child expresses feelings of
loneliness and appears to be
withdrawn.
• The child seems anxious and/or
depressed.
• The child comes home with mysterious