Behaviour Change

[windymoon]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the site and could really use some advice about my 11 year old son. He has just started grammar school and his behaviour has totally changed. At primary school everyone loved him, even the teachers, all I ever heard at parents evening was what a lovely boy he was and I've never had any trouble at all. If anything he is too sensitive, a friend fell at school and cut his head and according to the teachers my son was 'sobbing'. They said he's a sensitive soul. Now he's at secondary school everything has changed. For the first 2 weeks he was going to the sick bay everyday in tears and I had the school ringing me. That has stopped now but last week I was called in to speak to the teachers because there have been 'incidents'. He has been 'winding up' pupils, kicking school bags and even whacked a girl who accidentally hit him while waving her arms about. This new behaviour is bordering on bullying. He has a slight speech impediment which some kids have teased him about and he says a boy at the bus stop has been bullying him which he has told me about. I am taking him to the doctor to see about a referral for his speech and the school are aware of the bullying at the bus stop. I cannot stress enough how out of character this behaviour is and I could really use advice on how to handle this. Thank you!

[windymoon]

Wow. Thanks people.

[DIYandEatCake]

I'm guessing you haven't had many replies as this is a tricky one - nobody can really know what's going on. It certainly sounds like he's finding the transition to secondary school very hard though, perhaps some of the things he's doing are either a cry for attention or an expression of anxiety?
Did he have good friends at primary school? - could you help him meet up with these friends outside school? And I guess just lots of love and reassurance and consistency and confidence building. I'm not an expert though (my kids are younger) just didn't want to leave you unanswered.