Clare Rowe, Child Psychologist speaks about Bullying. [ReachOut.com] [Clare speaks] Bullying can be a significant issue in the lives of young people. I often tell parents are there may not be any warning signs that their child is experiencing bullying, but in other circumstances then may be flags you can watch out for. [Look out for: School refusals, Reluctance to talk, Mood swings, Appetite and sleep routine, Isolation] And these include things like school refusal or a reluctance to talk about what's going on in their lives at school; changes in their mood; appetite or sleep routine; and generally isolating themselves more. If you've noticed any of these symptoms in your teenager - it may be a good time to sit down and have a conversation with them about what's going on in their lives and whether they are victim of bullying. Teenage years can be difficult enough as it is, but for kids who experienced bullying, these years can be even harder. Teenagers who report feeling bullied by peers often feel extremely isolated, like people don't understand them and they often experience a lot of fear at the repercussions of speaking out against the bullying. [Stay calm] If you're a parent who's found out that your child is a victim of bullying, the first thing I generally try to advise is to stay calm. Which can be hard, but I think that there is a fine line between taking things seriously – which you should do - and overreacting, which can sometimes make the situation worse. [Have an honest conversation] The next thing I'd advise parents to do is try to have an honest conversation with your child. And during that conversation you want to make a clear message this is not your child's fault and that you're an ally for them and you going to do everything in your power to help them in the situation. One of the things that I suggest to parents to talk to their teens about, is encouraging what I call safety behaviours. [Safety behaviours: Sticking with the pack, Trusted adult at school ] These are things like: sticking with the pack and keeping people around them while they're in the school playground; having someone at the school that they can run to, like another adult, if things get out of control. Another thing that parents can do to assist in this situation is just try and keep in touch with your teen’s social relationships. This just means keeping across things like their online usage, who they're on the phone with and who they hang out with on the weekend. Bullying behaviour with teens is not something that can always be stopped or fixed easily, but working together with your teen you can minimise its impact on their lives. However if you feel that some of these strategies aren’t assisting you and things are getting beyond your control - it may be time to talk to people, like the school or seek professional help. [ReachOut.com] This video was produced with the help of 90seconds Productions on behalf of ReachOut Australia.