When children struggle with isolation at school

Social exclusion can make young people feel as if something is wrong with them, and presents a difficult challenge for parents to overcome

As children move into their teenage years, social issues become more complex. Picture: iStock

LUNCHTIME at school was the worst, says 20-year-old Sheila*, recalling being excluded by friends when she was in fifth year at a West of Ireland co-ed school.

“They’d make plans in front of me where I wasn’t invited. One lunchtime, they were giggling and whispering, and I glanced at the phone of the person beside me, and saw ‘can she just go away, she’s so annoying’.