Bullying has become prevalent in all areas of life. It’s in schools, working places and affects people of all ages. While bullying was once considered to occur in lower academic levels, it’s common in high school and colleges. It’s not just students bullying other students over poster choices; teachers and school staff have been guilty.
Recent research shows that students who were bullies in high school often carry on that bad college habit. The study also indicates that students bullied in middle school are more likely to be new targets in high school and college. The problem is that most students don’t open up when bullied. So how does a parent, educator, or guardian spot the signs of bullying? Read on to find out.
Trouble Sleeping
School bullies can be found anywhere. In lunchrooms, cafeteria, classrooms, hallway, and many other places. It can be hard to know someone is bullied if they don’t speak up or in case it is not repeated or doesn’t come in the form of unwanted behavior. The best way to identify the major signs is to know the type of bullying, which includes:
- Physical-using physical actions to target a learner and cause harm by pushing on classroom doors.
- Verbal-using words such as name-calling to attack a student.
- Cyberbullying-using technology to harass someone.
- Prejudicial-targeting learners of different races, religions, and sexual orientations.
- Relational- preventing a fellow student from being part of a group deliberately.
Relational bullying is common in colleges because it’s not easy to identify. It involves harming a student’s reputation by spreading rumors, mimicking how they talk or encouraging classmates or friends to exclude the individual socially.
These things can cause the student being bullied to find it hard to fall asleep, which affects their overall well-being and academic performance. For a student to perform well in class they must get adequate sleep throughout the week.
So in case your child has been putting the effort to study and attend classes, yet their grades are slipping, find out if they are being bullied. Students who want to improve their academic performance by understanding the course better can get custom writings from a reputable essay writing service. In some cases, students that want to gain extra knowledge in a subject may need to tell a subject expert “write my essay” and get the help they need to have a smoother academic journey.
Physical Signs
If a student comes back from school with bruises and damaged possessions, they might be dealing with physical bullying. This can make the individual unhappy and less motivated to go to school. Eventually, they might stop going to classes and associate education with bullying.
That is why even if your child is in college, it’s best to check with the teachers and ensure they regularly attend classes because teenagers and learners in college might decide to skip classes as a way to avoid bullying.
Emotional Signs
While educational institutes are expected to be a safe place for all learners, that’s not always the case. Other students may want to exercise their power by bullying. This involves taking things belonging to other students by force.
Having a negative reaction towards school or refusing to talk about what happens in school might be a silent sign of bullying. If not solved, bullying affects the victim emotionally, resulting in nightmares and personality changes.
Educators and parents may assume that the changes are common with teenagers and youths, but it could be a result of bullying. The victim might suddenly prefer to spend time alone and isolate themselves from their classmates, friends, and family members.
Most students shy away from loved ones because they are ashamed of being bullied. So as an educator, if a student suddenly has an intense emotional reaction or outbursts, it’s best to find the root cause because they might be holding anxiety.
Nowadays, there has been a rise in cyberbullying in schools where teasing or harassment occurs online, mostly on chatting platforms or social media. This can include posting hurtful comments, speaking negatively about another student, or publishing videos or photos to intimidate and harass the victim. What makes cyberbullying popular is because often it’s anonymous, and there are no clear repercussions on how to deal with the perpetrator. The common perpetrators of college cyberbullying are popular students.
To manage the situation, students’ online behavior should be monitored discreetly. Since most students nowadays have access to internet-enabled devices and are on social media, educators should educate them on the consequences of cyberbullying and how to deal with it. Students should also be encouraged to report cyberbullying.
