School Smarts: Preschool bullies

Nina Kesten of Sharon will be sending Hannah off to preschool for the first time this fall and she’s already worried about bullying.

"I am surprised young kids, 2, 3, 4 are being bullies and bullying other kids. It's very worrisome,” Kesten said.

As a mom, Nina says she wants to do everything she can to protect her daughter.

“I don't want her to be a victim of bullying at this age or even as she gets older,” Nana said.

Experts say bullying at this age is pretty common.

“Bullying at the preschool level includes, verbal, physical and non including behaviors,” said psychotherapist Dr. Karen Ruskin. 

The best advice for parents is to be on the lookout for the signs your child might be bullied.

They can include:

-your child being nervous or fearful of returning to school

-your child coming home with bruises

-your son or daughter not doing the school activities they would normally do, like coloring or crafts

-your child being extra quiet or lethargic

If you think you child is a victim of bullying, you should act immediately.

“You absolutely must and should contact your preschoolers teacher and discuss what the plan of addressing this problem and resolving this problem immediately,” Dr. Ruskin said.

“If we all just do the best we can to teach our kids right from wrong, hopefully bullying at this age won't be an issue anymore,” said Nina.

Dr. Ruskin says kids who are bullies at a young age often have problems socializing and interacting with others when they get older.

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