Making and maintaining friendships is a vital social skill for children to master in the early grades at school. Kids who have the skills to make friends easily and to keep those friends are the least likely to be bullied. Children are considered popular when the majority of the class likes and wants to play with and be partnered with them for activities. Popular kids usually have positive and competent social interaction and communication skills.

Moderately popular children are well liked by some kids and disliked by a few. These children generally have decent social skills but aren't quite as socially savvy as the popular kids. They might be class clowns or labeled the rowdy ones. Unpopular children are often disliked by a majority of the class. They have trouble with basic classroom rules and are often immature. They tend to be self-centered and lack proper social interaction skills.

And overlooked children are the wallflowers. They might be shy, have low self-esteem, or just have slow-developing social skills. These children aren't usually liked or disliked, as they rarely claim much attention in the classroom.

In truth, bullies and victims can come from any category. But knowing where your child stands in the eyes of her peers can help you assess her risk of being a bully or bullied child.