School avoidance behaviors , especially chronic nonspecific complaints, such as headaches or stomachaches, or they may have trouble sleeping. Also, if your child seems afraid or anxious about going to school, has a change in his personality or his behavior, or a change in his grades, you should consider that he may be a victim of a bully at school, especially if he fits the stereotypes described above. Children are most often bullied at school, usually on the playground or at lunchtime when children are more likely to have minimal supervision , or it may occur in the hallways between classes or on the school bus. In any situation, the better supervised children are, the less likely that bullying will occur. They may also be aggressive, bossy, controlling, have a low level of self control, and have difficulty making friends.
Bullies are also more likely to develop criminal behaviors as adults.
While this may help you understand why a bully acts the way he does, this doesn't necessarily help your child deal with the problem. Things that you should avoid include teaching your child to fight back, since he may get hurt and it may also get him in trouble at school, but that doesn't mean that you can't teach your child to be assertive and to show self-confidence. Parents often turn to enrolling their children in a martial arts class, and while this can be helpful to build his self-esteem and help him be more assertive, the aim of the classes should not be so that he can fight back. It may also help to schedule a meeting between the parents of the children involved and school officials. It can also help if your child has high self-esteem and if he has some strong friendships, so that he is less of a target.