Teen Violence

Whether your teen is the bullying victim or the teen bullying his/her peers it is important to learn how to stop bullying. Problems with bullying are continuing to grow, which is why it is good for parents and teens to learn how to stop bullying before it gets out of hand.

When finding out how to stop bullying, it is important to know how to recognize the warning signs of bullying.  There are many different types of signs to look for to determine if someone is involved in bullying, by either bullying their peers or by being the victim of bullying. If you are a parent or teacher, it is a good idea to know what to look for when it comes to signs of bullying to find out how to stop bullying altogether. 

If your teen is being bullied, they might demonstrate some key behaviors including:

• Coming home with injuries, damaged clothing or other belongings
• Frequently "loses" items like books, electronics, clothes or jewelry
• Tries to find excuses to avoid going to school
• Hurts themselves
• Loses interest in friends or extra curricular activities
• Acts afraid of going to schools
• Appears moody, anxious or depressed
• Feels helpless
• Exhibits low self-esteem

If your teen is demonstrating bullying behaviors, they might show some types of negative behavior including:

• Violent outbursts
• Gets into physical and verbal fights with their friends and classmates
• Is often getting into trouble at school
• Has extra money or belongings that they cannot explain getting
• Quick to blame others for poor behaviors and attitudes
• Hangs around with other teens who act like bullies
• Always has to win or be the best at everything

The behaviors mentioned above are key in helping to find out if your teen is a bully or is being a bully. Regardless, it is important for every parent to know how to stop bullying. If your child or teen is a bullying victim, it is important to talk to them about their experiences with the bully. With the Internet and social networking, there are many different types of bullying your child could be the victim of including physical, verbal and cyber bullying. If your teen is experiencing any kinds of these types of bullying it is important to let the school administration know there is school bullying occurring. Other methods on how to stop bullying include encouraging good self-esteem with your teen. If your child  is confident and unafraid of those who are mean and hurtful, they are less likely to be the victim of a bullying attack. It is also a good idea to have your teen avoid places where the bullying is often taking place. Overall the best way to find out how to stop bullying with your teen is to encourage open communication. Get your teen to talk to you if they ever feel threatened or unsafe at school or around their peers.

If your child is exhibiting violent behaviors and has been reported by other parents and teachers as a potential bully, it is a good idea to get your teen help. Often times, bullying results because the child or teen is experiencing underlying emotional issues like low self-esteem, frustration with having difficulty learning in school. Your child also might be behaving in violent behaviors because they are being bullied themselves. When it comes to knowing how to stop bullying, the best way to stop it is where it starts. This means that if your child or teen is the bully they need help to stop bullying and demonstrating negative behaviors with their peers. Some teens and children might have troubles with anger management issues and simply need a more effective form of releasing those frustrations and anger. Sports and exercise are a great outlet to help channel that unnecessary anger toward a more positive outlet. 

Unfortunately bullying can lead to serious consequences for both the victim as well as the bully. In some instances, teens who are victims of bullying don't know how to talk to their parents or teachers about feeling like a victim. Instead they turn their emotions inward and this results in cases of low self esteem, eating disorders, self mutilation and even in some severe cases, suicide. Teens who are the bully also experience serious consequences of their actions like troubles with drugs, alcohol, violence, crime and domestic violence later on in life. It is important for parents and their teens to know how to stop bullying before these actions get taken too far. 

Sources: stopbullying.gov