by Melissa R. Bickel

Created on: May 12, 2009   Last Updated: October 06, 2009

It doesn't matter your social status in life or what background you come from, bullying is a serious problem which needs addressing. From a young age a child can either become a target of bullying, or a child could be the bully. Whichever, knowing how to handle this serious situation helps in stopping it before it progresses into something tragic for the victim and the bully.

Bullying can stretch beyond verbal abuse. It can start out with name calling, but then progress up to actual bodily harm. Whatever the situation may be, if your child is the one being bullied or your child is the bully, act quickly to stop it.

Start first by establishing good communication with your child / children. When your child / children start to talk, try to always remain open, calm and with understanding. Patience goes a long way as well.

Some key clues to help you recognize if your child is being bullied can be found at mychildsaftey.net . Here are a few:

1. Loss of interest in school and extracurricular activities, frequent complaints of illness to avoid going to school, sudden decrease in academic performance, has few or no friends with whom he/she spends time with, unexplained bruises,scratches and cuts, seems sad, moody or depressed, has trouble sleeping and anxiety or low self-esteem.

2. Try to understand why your child may not want to fess up to being bullied. The threat of increased ridicule or physical harm can seal the lips of your child. Your child may remain silent about being bullied because they don't want their peers knowing. It's embarrassing and could show them as being weak in the eyes of their friends.

3. Talk to your child's teachers. Have them watch to see if your child separates him or herself from their peers. As parent you want to as aware of your child's comings and goings. Your child, though silent, will look to you for support. You are your child's safe haven.

"What if your child is the one doing the bullying", you ask? First, no matter how hard it is to accept, don't over react. Don't deny the situation or ignore it. There is probably some underlining reason why your child is acting out toward others or even yourself. He or she needs you to be willing to listen, be forgiving and understanding.

Some more key clues to help you recognize if your child is being a bully from mychildsaftey.net are:

1. Positive view towards violence, often aggressive towards adults - including teachers or parents, a marked need to control or dominate others or situations, a

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