More than 3.2 million children are victims of bullying each year.

Bullying is an aggressive, intentional behavior, consisting of repeated attacks or threats toward an individual over time.

Bullying can take on many forms, such as verbal abuse (using degrading names, teasing), physical (kicking, hitting, pinching, shoving) and psychological (spreading rumors, social exclusion).

Bullying can go beyond the walls of a school or playground. It can essentially follow a child anywhere a cell phone or Internet access reaches.

Ten warning signs your child could be a victim of bullying:

1. Declining performance with school work.

2. Unexplained scratches, scrapes, abrasions and/or bruises on the skin.

3. A child may fake an illness in order to stay home.

4. May cause self-harm (i.e., cutting on the skin, not eating, over-eating).

5. Experiencing difficulty sleeping or having nightmares.

6. Insists on taking alternate routes to school.

7. Becomes overly concerned about personal safety.

8. Taking or asking for more money.

9. Obvious change in appearance (i.e., poor posture, lack of eye contact).

10. Seeks to be around adults, versus children of their own age.

Strategies to deal with bullies begin with having a conversation with your son or daughter. We want children to know that they should not fight back, as this can further escalate and intensify the situation.

Encourage him or her to hang out with friends, as bullies tend to prey on kids who are loners.

If a bully is stealing personal possessions, label your belongings with a permanent marker so they can be later identified and returned.

Do not follow the demands of a bully, rather ignore them. Stand tall, speak confidently, and firmly say “no.”

Work on ways to improve self-esteem.

Encourage children and teens to speak to adults about bulling encounters. Always report any incidents to school officials. Please inform your child that telling an adult is not “tattle-tailing,” but rather reporting, so the bullying situation can be resolved.

For further information, I recommend the following websites: www.BullyFree.com and www.StopBullying.Gov.

Dr. Linda Petter of Auburn is a weekly feature on KOMO TV/News Radio (1000 AM & 97.7 FM) every Saturday and Sunday at 7:45 a.m. & 9:45 a.m., and Thursday’s during the evening commute. She trained at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Illinois, Carle Hospital. Dr. Petter is chief of the Department of Family Practice at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. She is a consumer healthcare advocate, and her books, “Healthcare On a Budget”, and “Common Medical Sense”, are available on Amazon.com. Visit her website, www.DocForAll.com, or call her office at 253-568-0841.