Eight Signs That an Older Child Is Being Bullied! #STOPBullying

When an older child is being bullied, the signs can be more direct than when a young child is being bullied. Teenagers are often even more emotional and moody than younger kids due to hormones.  In addition, they can also feel more hopeless, so it’s important to pay attention to their behavior and get to the bottom of it before they truly are hopeless enough to act on it.

Here are eight signs to watch out for;

1. They Are Sleeping More Than Usual – Teenagers often react to stress by zoning out and sleeping. Sometimes that may be due to drug use, but often it can simply be depression which can cause teenagers to sleep even more.  So if your teen suddenly is sleeping a lot more than normal, you may want to talk to them about what’s happening in their lives.
2. They Seem Very Withdrawn – Sometimes they may not sleep but they’re just withdrawn and not participating, laughing, or talking to anyone – not even friends. This is not a good sign and can be for several reasons, but one of the reasons it can happen is bullying.
3. They’re Spending More Time on Their Electronics – Games, mobile devices, and computers are an escape from the world for most people these days. But, if your child is spending even more time zoning out or typing furiously on their computer and don’t seem to want you to see, it’s possible they’re experiencing cyberbullying too.
   
4. They May Self-Medicate – If you catch your child using alcohol or other types of drugs, there is a possibility that they’re trying to block thoughts of being bullied. Sometimes drug use is the result of self-medicating out of depression or anxiety, which can and should be treated professionally instead.
5. They’re Acting Out with Anger at You or Siblings – A teenager who is being bullied can sometimes start bullying others to make themselves feel better.  Those targets are often the people who love them most, such as siblings or parents. If this happens, you must put a stop to it but also try to find the root cause to truly end it.
6. They Talk about Suicide or Not Wanting to Be Here – If your teenager is often talking about the whole world being against them, how they hate people, how God doesn’t care about them, and so forth, there is a very strong possibility they’re being bullied. Any talk of suicide or not wanting to be here should be taken very seriously.
7. There Is a Sudden Drop in Grades – If your teenager usually gets good grades then suddenly along with other issues has their grades drop, consider whether they’re experiencing bullying at school. When a child is bullied it’s hard to focus in class, because they don’t want to be there no matter what.
8. They Don’t Participate in School Activities – If your teenager always participated in school activities and now doesn’t want to anymore, consider that they may have a good reason. If kids are bullying them at the activities, they won’t want to go due to fear or embarrassment.

When an older child is being bullied, it can be difficult to get a handle on it so that they can get help. They are often embarrassed, ashamed, and don’t want you to do anything. But, for their sake, it’s important that you find a way to put a stop to the bullying so that your child can see how good life really is.