Relational Bullying is real and it is serious!

Relational bullying most commonly happens between girls, but boys are affected too.  It is the discreet form of bullying that takes shape in the form of excluding a peer, giving a dirty look, or doing subtle but mean things to another girl (or girls) to make them feel inferior, rejected, and alone.  Because of the stigma still today about telling another adult, and rather than risking embarrassment (and fear that the problem will get worse, not better) many children/adolescents suffer in silence.  You may see small changes in their behavior, becoming more withdrawn, or disengaged in activities they once used to enjoy.  Add that we now live in the age of social media, cyberbullying in the form of texts (Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) makes it difficult to escape a bully.  This is a serious problem that needs a voice because no school is immune to relational bullying, sad but true.  Don't let your child be a victim and if you suspect they are (or have been) please seek us out for further help.  There may not be physical scars, but the emotional ones can be even larger and more painful.

I have listed below a website designed specifically designed to give you strategies to combat relational bullying, it's called a "Girls Guide to End Relational Bullying":

http://girlsguidetoendbullying.org/Relational_RecognizeBullying.html

Also, I would highly recommend the extremely insightful and powerful video, "A Girl Like Her" available on Netflix or Amazon:

http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/A-Girl-Like-Her/80039600