Warning Signs for Children Who Are Bullied

Physical:

• Frequently complains of illness (e.g., headaches, stomach aches, etc.)
• Has anxiety when encountering peers 
• Sudden change or loss of appetite
• Has scars, scratches, or bruises with no logical explanation
• Frequently has damaged or missing belongings

Academic:

• Skips class or skips school altogether
• Has changes in school work (e.g., poor grades, incomplete assignments, etc.)
• Has difficulty concentrating and remaining on task
• Does not enjoy going to lunch and/or recess
• Lack of interest in school-related and extracurricular activities

Social:

• Has very few or no friends
• Likes to be around adults rather than other children
• Has difficulty standing up for him/herself
• Often complains of other children teasing, picking on, or laughing at him/her
• May frequently irritate others (even adults)

Emotional:

• Is unhappy, depressed, and/or moody
• Shy, quiet, passive, withdrawn, and/or timid,
• Has poor self esteem
• Often anxious, nervous, cautious, worried, and/or fearful
• Has thoughts of suicide and possibly even homicide

Warning Signs for Children Who Bully Others

• Enjoys feelings of power and control
• Constantly seeks the attention of others (even negative attention)
• Likes to dominate others
• Gains satisfaction from hurting others
• Has a bad temper; gets angry easily; impulsive
• Has little or no compassion for others when they are hurt; lacks empathy
• May have difficulty making and keeping friends
• Frequently disregards rules and gets in trouble
• Good at talking him/herself out of trouble, manipulative
• Disrespectful, hostile, or aggressive towards adults
• May be popular with other children
• Has average or above average self-esteem; overly confident
• Has poor supervision and parental involvement at home
• Has harsh physical discipline at home
• Has trouble taking responsibility for his or her own actions; often blames others
• Hangs around peers with accepting attitudes towards violence
• Has little emotional support at home