What To Do If Your Child Is Bullied In School

Bullying is one serious issue that must never be taken lightly. Not only does it leave long-lasting devastating effects on the victims, but child bullying also adversely affects their quality of life. According to 2019 statistics, one out of every five students is a bullying victim.

No matter what form bullying takes, it needs to be dealt with immediately. If you find out your child is being bullied at any point, you can contact a personal injury attorney and take action against the school and the bully.

Signs Your Child Is Being Bullied

There are many forms that bullying in school takes, and legally it is described as a physical, verbal, or mental action by a student that intimidates, harms, or harasses another student. 41% of children who reported being bullied at school told that they think they will be subject to bullying again.

Any child can fall prey to bullying; however, kids with special needs or those who don’t ‘fit in’ can be the most at risk. Following are some of the key signs you need to look out for if you feel that your child or children are being bullied at school:

• Your child has very few friends and is lonely most of the time at school and home.
• Your child seems depressed, sad, or moody all the time.
• There is a fear of going to school.
• You witness unexplained bumps, bruises, and cuts on your child’s body.
• There is a significant decline in your child’s school grades.
• You notice your child is suffering from low self-esteem.
• Your child has frequent nightmares and has trouble falling asleep.

What Is The School’s Legal Responsibility?

It is the school’s legal responsibility to implement an effective anti-bullying policy. All bullying-related incidents must be dealt with immediate and swift actions to prevent any such events from happening in the future again. If your child is being targeted, you have to bring the incident up with the school higher-ups as soon as possible.

According to the law, every school must have a strict policy on bullying, and every parent has the right to see whether it is being endorsed or not.

When Should You Contact A Personal Injury Attorney?

When is the right time to take legal action when your child is suffering at the hands of consistent buying at school? You may consider contacting a personal injury lawyer if you encounter the following:

• You see no appropriate or strict action taken by the school to make the bullying episodes come to an end.
• You have consistently notified the school that your child is being a victim of consistent bullying.
• The severity of the bullying is too much for your child to bear, and the constant attacks don’t come to an end.
• The bullying episodes are taking a mental and physical toll on your child’s overall health and well-being.

Filing a lawsuit against any school that fails to protect its students from bullying is an effective way to stop this detrimental behavior in its tracks for not just your child but many other children. Such measures are used as a last resort when the school fails to deal with the situation appropriately.

What Legal Actions Can Be Taken?

Parents can choose from a variety of different legal actions if the schools don’t enforce any strict action to stop the students from actively bullying other students. You can choose the best legal option depending upon your goals and the type of bullying your child is experiencing.

The most common choice of actions includes the following:

• You can take legal action against the family of the bully who is tormenting your child.
• If the school isn’t taking any appropriate action, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights against the school district.
• You can file a lawsuit against the school employees who refuse to take any strict action. You can also file a complaint against the school district.
• If the situation has reached an alarming level where your child has been physically assaulted, you can pursue a criminal investigation.

If your child is a victim of consistent school bullying and the school or the bully’s family fails to take notice, you can hire a personal injury attorney to ensure that the bullying episodes come to an end so that your child can experience healthy school life and take part in the related activities with complete confidence.