Youngsters will show signs of victimization.

• Position: Bullying

Understanding tile line between harmless teasing and persistent bullying can mean the difference between interfering parents and those who help their offspring overcome painful child abuse, according to the newly appointed director of the Center for the Prevention of Bullying Abuse and School Violence at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.).

"Teasing is back and forth between your friends and people you know. It's designed to make people laugh. Its poking fun at one another. explains Amanda B. Nickerson. who is preparing for her second semester at the recently endowed anti-bullying center in the Graduate School of Education.

Bullying involves an imbalance of power between tile person doing the bullying and the target. That could be due to size, age, perceived sexual orientation--anything that could put someone at risk of having less power--and it's also intentional. Its designed to inflict harm. either psychological or physical."

Nickerson says parents can look for some signs to tell whether a child is being victimized by a bully. Parents know their kids. and they know what they're like. If they have unexplained cuts or bruises, that's the classic sign." Yet. the warning signs can be more subtle. If your child has gotten more quiet recently, or doesn't want to go to school, or to be in social situations.... If they say they feel sick and there is no physical cause--all these are signs they could be being bullied.

Nickerson indicates that the first thing parents should do when they discover their...