Children being bullied may make excuses to avoid going to school. They may create a fake illness, say that school is closed for the day or go someplace other than school when they leave the house. Rather than confronting your child about her reluctance to go to school, consider why the behavior is happening as it could be a bullying problem.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services through the "Stop Bullying Now!" program, children who are the victims of bullying will often find it difficult to sleep at night. They may also report having disturbing dreams. They may have nightmares on a regular basis that wake them up suddenly.
Victims of bullying will sometimes start to show a decreased appetite that can lead to a noticeable weight loss.
Children who are being bullied may start to show a lack of confidence in all aspects of their life. Signs include speaking in a low voice or stuttering over words, making them difficult to understand. The low confidence may also cause difficulty with homework and refusal to engage in new activities.
According to child abuse resource website Kidscape, one of the more extreme signs that a child is being bullied at school is attempted suicide.
Bullying at school can cause your child to begin to display signs of depression. These include crying, becoming withdrawn and silent, showing a lack of interest in any activity and being generally sad and emotional.
According to KidsHealth, if a child is being bullied he may begin to change his routine to avoid specific situations. For example, if the bullying is occurring on the school bus then your child may start to avoid taking the bus to school.