Clues You Can’t Ignore

You must not wait. You need to check your kids’ clothes, their book bags, sports equipment, musical instrument cases and their bodies.

What you are looking for is any sign of bullying or self inflicted issues. You need to be aware of changes in weight and anything that is missing or “lost.”

Bullying Clues

• Ripped or marked clothing
• Contents of book bag a mess – not their usual untidiness. It’s more like what the contents would look like if someone had dumped them on the ground – books that are marked up.
• Sports equipment and bags – any damage or similar to book bags
• Musical instrument cases – any damage to instrument – this could be something like violin strings that were cut.
• Their bodies – Look for bruises or scrapes – take notice if they appear to be covering up their necks.

It is so important to protect your children from being hurt physically or emotionally by bullies. Don’t act like you are “snooping” through their things. You might say something like, “You haven’t played your violin for me in a while. Would you play something?”

Offering to help “organize” their book bags is a great way to see a lot about what goes on with them at school.

Please remember that you must question your kids about any of the above in a way that gets answers.

Photo: spatulated