By 
It’s never easy growing up, and social media has only made it worse.
Bullies no longer are limited to face to face torment and the laughs and cackles from people can be heard all throughout the internet. But there are a few things that can be done to stop bullying, not only in the classroom but cyber bullying as well.
In a recent study, 1 in 4 kids admit to being bullied in school or away from home and even more have reported being bullied on the internet or social media. Given the varying age groups, roughly 40% of children report cyber bullying as something they had to face at one point in time. But as a parent, you know that helpless feeling of not knowing what you can do to help them.
First off, how can you tell if your child is a victim of bullying? Many children and victims of bullying don’t want to tell their parents about their troubles. Signs of being bullied include not wanting to go to school, little interest in outside activities, unexplained bruises or injuries on your child, and even torn or ripped clothing.
But the hard part is that you cannot just directly ask your children about bullying because often, you will not get the truthful answer. Instead, try more positive or indirect questions to try to get a real answer. Interrogative questions will only cause your child to shut down. Listen to your kids and don’t be quick to dismiss what could be inner turmoil for them.
Once you have established that your child is being bullied, it’s time to take action. Don’t be upset with the other child; instead, talk to the school and figure out what the best course of action is and how to best prevent bullying in the future. Don’t let too much time pass between the incidents and your actions. The effects of bullying can have long term emotional and psychological effects on your child, even into their adult years.