Is your teen being bullied?

Spotting the signs of bullying early

Quick summary

• Bullying can take many forms, including physical harm, verbal abuse, emotional manipulation, social exclusion, and cyberbullying
• Signs that your teen may be experiencing bullying include emotional withdrawal, poor mental health, physical injuries, reluctance to attend school, changes in friendships, and anxiety around social media
• As a parent, you can try to help by making sure they feel safe to come to you about this so you can take action, and if needed you can escalate this to the school or authorities

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Bullying is unfortunately a common occurrence amongst children and teenagers and it can have a significant effect on someone’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. 

We know from speaking to parents that it can be hard to spot the signs when a teen is being bullied, so we’ve put together some tips to help you identify when your teen may need extra support.

Before we get into it, what is bullying?

Bullying comes in lots of different forms including…

• physical harm
• verbal abuse
• emotional manipulation
• disruption of friendships/safe spaces
• stealing/damaging property

In the last few decades, cyberbullying has also become more common through increased use of social media amongst young people. 

In fact, 27% of children between the ages of 8-15 who use some form of social media have experienced cyberbullying.

Due to the many different types of bullying, your teen may display different signs which may indicate they are being bullied which can make it even trickier to spot.

What are the signs your teen is possibly being bullied?

1. Emotional changes

Your teen may become...

• More socially withdrawn
• More irritable
• Less excited to socialise or see friends

2. Poor mental health

Signs that something isn’t right include:

• Low mood
• Difficulty sleeping
• Eating more or less than normal
• Low self esteem
• Appearing more emotional

However, these can be due to other causes, not just bullying.

If you’re concerned, speak to your teen and together consider seeing a doctor for personalised advice.

3. Physical signs

Such as...

• Cuts
• Bruises
• Scratches
• Unexplained aches/pains such as headaches or tummy aches

Your teen may be vague about how these have happened, or avoid the topic altogether.

As with some of the other signs, if your teen is unwell or has unexplained injuries, it is best to see a doctor for further assessment.

4. Changes in school life

Signs of bullying at school or with school mates could show as...

• Reluctance to go to school
• Wanting to take more sick days
• A dip in grades may be signs of bullying

In a UK survey, 74% of parents identified classmates as the main cyberbullies of children they knew. 

4. Unexplained damage/loss of belongings

Your teen may describe unusual reasons for their belongings becoming broken or lost.

5. Social media use

In cases of cyberbullying, you may notice your teen showing increased anxiety around social media and technology.

They may be more upset or moody than usual after being online.

In general though, excessive social media use can contribute to this – in a recent luna poll, we learnt that nearly 1 in 2 teens say they feel drained and unproductive after scrolling social media (48.4%).

6. A change in social situation

A sudden change in who your teen spends time with, or sudden isolation may indicate bullying amongst their peer group.

7. Avoidant behaviour

Your teen may avoid talking about school, friends, or social media.

They may also mention vague negative remarks about school or friends.

What can you do?

luna’s got a guide on the steps you can take if you spot these signs of bullying, which we’d recommend taking a look through.

Hopefully with your ongoing support, you can help your teen manage and prevent bullying and navigate these challenging parts of growing up.