How to Spot and Stop Bullying

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According to stopbullying.gov, bullying is unwanted or aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. When a child is being bullied, it normally means peers are intentionally causing harm. 160,000 children skip school every day because they fear being attacked or intimidated by other students. Bullying can start at a very young age and can be more frequent and aggressive than parents may anticipate. Cruel behavior often increases with age and could be damaging to a child’s psyche. Being bullied multiple times could cause a child emotional and mental distress, and could lower his or her self-esteem. Both boys and girls report high levels of emotional distress as well as lower self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. In some situations, the outcome is tragic and the child may take his or her own life. Many children never report being bullied, so it’s important for adults to be able to recognize the nonverbal signs. Check out this list from Character.org to learn how to stop bullying at the first sign of distress. You can also visit stopbullying.gov for a variety of resources and information, including stopbullying.gov/kids for young children to learn more.