An excellent post on KidsHealth got me thinking about the imminent dangers of my children getting bullied in school…

Most kids have been teased by a sibling or a friend at some point. And it’s not usually harmful when done in a playful, friendly, and mutual way, and both kids find it funny. But when teasing becomes hurtful, unkind, and constant, it crosses the line into bullying and needs to stop.

It’s important to take bullying seriously and not just brush it off as something that kids have to “tough out.” The effects can be serious and affect kids’ sense of self-worth and future relationships. In severe cases, bullying has contributed to tragedies, such as school shootings.

The KidsHealth writeup offers many helpful pointers on how to spot the problem and how to deal with it.  So, do give it a good read. 

The Mayo Clinic also supports the view that bullying is a serious issue, and offers more helpful advice…

Bullying was once considered a childhood rite of passage. Today, however, bullying is recognized as a serious problem. Up to half of all children are bullied at some point during their school years, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. And thanks to tech-savvy kids, cyberbullying and other forms of electronic harassment are now commonplace.

To help your child handle school bullying, learn to recognize it – and know how to respond.

You may think this is a problem that does not affect your kids today, but unless you learn to read the signs, how will you know?