My DS has just told me that every single time he takes a packed lunch to school (3 times a week), there are certain kids in his year group who mess around with his food, steal it, grab it, hide it, run off with it. Yesterday his chocolate bar was taken and he didn't get it back at all. He frequently doesn't get to finish his lunch due to all this. It doesn't happen when he has a school dinner but we can't afford to buy more than 2 a week. We're really struggling as it is with all the demands for money for one thing or another.
I'm really not sure whether this falls within the category of bullying, despite the persistence - DS says it is very annoying and he did admit that it is a bit stressful. 3 of those involved came from his old small village primary school, from his own class, and didn't behave like this there. He is at a small secondary - less than 400 kids.
This is really worrying me - he hasn't seemed very happy for quite a while now and I have been doing my best to get to the bottom of it but he just says he's finding it hard having to get up at 6.45am every day (he didn't have to get up until 8am for primary school!) and is tired all the time. He gets at least 9 hours sleep every night so not sure I can put it down to this alone.
His best friend also seems to have dropped him since they started at secondary and I think this has really upset him although he won't admit it. He doesn't really have anyone now within school who is a good solid friend, who has his back and will be on his side.
I've talked to him about strategies at some length. He knows I'm ready to help in any way I can but I also want him to stand up for himself and not let people treat him so badly. I've helped him work out what to say, to see if he can get across to them that this is causing stress and he wants to be able to eat his lunch in peace, try to appeal to their better natures. I know 3 of the kids involved and I don't think they are bullies, but they need to know that this has to stop.
So what would you do? Should I wait and see if he can deal with it on his own or approach someone in school? What could they actually do? And could it end up with DS even more lonely and isolated? 