Morning. My son has started high school this year. Academically he's doing OK, but socially is where he struggles. He has always struggled with reading people's social cues etc & would often when younger keep going back to someone who had been nasty to him. One even punched him in the face and he still continued to try and be friends.
We & the school had him assessed for adhd /asd but he was discharged. But there are obviously problems there.
As he's got older he has got better and was very settled in the last 2 years of primary within his friendship group.
They have all gone up to high school together, but the other boys have immediately changed how they act. Probably trying to act cool & fit in, but they have started to take the mickey out of him alot, not meet him where they are supposed to & yesterday the worst thing that could of happened his trousers split at the crotch so of course they were all hysterical laughing at him. Most of it is normal boys stuff, I wouldn't call it bullying. But it really affects my son. He gets upset at night about it and it keeps playing on his mind and now he doesn't want to go to school.
The trouble is, he just will not stand up for himself at all, even to his best mate. I've given him alot of advice but he doesn't listen. He always wants to be in the cool group too, but he isn't actually like that. He would be much better off in a group of more mature boys who are bit "geeky" and nicer in general. But he won't. How do I make him understand that these are not true friends?