Besides the obvious physical clues that your child may be the victim of bullying, there are many not-so-obvious signs of victimization. Many of these can be mistaken for normal tween or teen drama and moodiness, but if your child exhibits several of these, it's time to figure out what is going wrong in his life.

• Acts moody, sullen, or withdraws from family interaction

• Depressed, distressed, overly emotional, anxious, sad, secretive, explosive outbursts, irritable, angry, or generally acting unlike his normal self

• Puts himself down and says things like, “I'm stupid,” “Nobody likes me because I'm a loser,” “I wish I were invisible.”

• Happy on the weekend, but unhappy and upset on Sunday evenings, Monday mornings, or at the end of a holiday

• Gets upset or moody after receiving a phone call, e-mail, or instant message

• Seems overly concerned with personal safety issues

• Loss of respect for authority figures