FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Peach County school officials say declining grades and changes in behavior can be warning signs of bullying, and they’re encouraging students to report incidents so administrators can investigate and provide help. “People bully because they feel like they can,” Peach County High School senior Jaylyn Henley said. “So, when it comes to bullying you can either be there for the person or join in. And I’m personally not into joining in. So, I just try to check on the person, see if they’re okay, see what happened, and what started the bullying.” Bullying isn’t always easy to recognize, and sometimes warning signs can go unnoticed. Identifying those signs early and speaking up can help students get the support they need. Peach County School District lead counselor Beverly Stewart says bullying can affect a student’s social life, behavior, mental health and performance in the classroom. “You would see a decline in the student’s academic achievement,” Stewart said. “That’s one of the major signs that a teacher or parent would see. And again, the student being withdrawn socially. They may come to school. For example, if you have a student who is normally upbeat, engaged, that student may be showing signs of sleeping in the classroom with the head down, depression, being withdrawn, just not wanting to associate with their peers and not being as academically engaged as they usually are.” Stewart says students may be hesitant to report bullying…
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