About 30 percent of teens are involved in bullying, but there are some preventative measures that a parent can take, as well as some tell tale signs that something might be wrong. YNN's Amanda Farinacci tells us more.
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
Sal Sportiello, 12, said he's never been bullied himself, but he's seen it happen often at his school.
"There was a bully bullying a kid, and I was passing by and I overheard, so I jumped in, and I said to the bull, 'Does this make you feel good about yourself'? He didn't answer me and he backed off," said Sportiello.
Sportiello's story is all too common in schools across the country, and while the victim he helped eventually became his best friend, and stopped being targeted by bullies, the stories don't always have happy endings.
According to Family First Aid, a not-for-profit aimed at helping troubled teens, roughly 30 percent of teens are estimated to be involved in school bullying, as either a bully or a target.
"Consequences of bullying can be very detrimental in various ways, from low self esteem, to lack of interest in continuing regular activities, lack of interest in school, frank school phobia, depression, suicide," explained Dr. Saidi Clemente, Development Behavior Pediatrician.
Dr. Clemente urges parents to look for some signs of bullying: bruises, changes to your child's appearance, or trouble sleeping.
How to tell if your child is a bully? Look for extreme aggression, and how your child handles his or her emotions.
Advocates said the easiest most important thing that parents can do to help prevent bullying is simply talk to their child. Belinda Mendez-Azzollini began not-for-profit Just Be Me two years ago to help parents and kids with those conversations.
"Life isn't perfect, we know that. We know there's always gonna be a problem. But, we're trying to teach and enforce in our young peope to come up with solutions to be proactive and empower them to make a difference in their lives," said Azzollini.
Other keys to prevention for parents includes getting involved with their kids, monitoring online activities and cell phone use, meeting their child's friends, and teaching their children how to handle their emotions.