Each year millions of students are bullied at school, and parents aren't always aware of how to recognize the signs.
Studies show bullying can affect kids in many areas of their lives in addition to harming their self-esteem.
The American Psychological Association found that bullying can lead to lower grades, change in personality, and lack of academic confidence.
Adolescent Physician at McLane Children’s Hospital Rachel Dawson said she agrees with the study.
Dawson said children who are bullied might not want to raise their hand in class for fear of being teased. However, she’s informing parents to watch out for the signs of potential bullying because the faster it's exposed the faster it can be stopped.
“Watch for changes in their child’s behavior. A lot of the times you may have a bubbly happy child through parts of their elementary school. But all of a sudden you start seeing they're more quiet, more reserved, more introverted,” Dr. Dawson said.
Dawson said these are all potential signs of a child being bullied. She encourages parents that recognize these signs to talk with their children and to ask questions concerning their involvement in school.
In addition, Dawson said it’s equally important to monitor their friends and their use of social media.
The culture has changed when it comes to bullying because children often kids have more ways to communicate online. Studies show cyber bullying can be just as harmful as the impact from bullying in person. Since social media is heavily used in our society, this has caused an increase in cyber bullying.
Dr. Dawson said by monitoring your child’s online activity, you could potentially prevent them a child from being bullied or becoming a bully.
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