Bullying may have an effect on physical and emotional health, in the short term and later. It can lead to physical injury, social problems, mental issues, and even death. Bullying may have a significant effect on the mental health and well-being of children and young adults.
Lifelong Results
Many of those who are bullied are at an increased risk of long-term self-esteem trauma, depression, and an increased risk of suicide. Families, instructors, mentors, and other youth-serving people are in positions where they can detect signs of emotional illness or abuse.
Approximately 20 % of people who were bullies as children had a mental health condition and needed psychiatric attention as a teenager or as a young adult. That corresponds to 23 percent of the children who were regularly abused and seeking assistance with a psychological disorder before the age of 30.
NICHD research findings indicate that someone who is involved in harassment — whether a bully or a victim — is at greater risk of depression. They can also be subject to more intense anti-social behaviors such as school problems of low performance, substance use, and aggressive behavior.
Worse than verbal abuse by adults
This also suggests that peers can be worse than parents when it comes to the psychological negative consequences of disparaging threats and harassment.
Research released last year in The Lancet Psychology found that children who have been abused by peers have experienced substantial mental health issues as adults — more so than children who have been mistreated by their parents or carers.
In the research, Dieter Wolke, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Warwick University, England, described maltreatment as physical , sexual or emotional misconduct by an adult caretaker.
The Wolke research team tracked two groups of youngsters, one British and one American, into adulthood. The findings on maltreatment and abuse in youth is associated with mental health issues in adulthood.
“The significance of our research is that, given variations in demographics, we observed consistent results on the impact of abuse on adult mental health in both groups,” said Wolke.
One in three U.S. children reported being harassed at school, and about 1 in 7 reported online abuse.
“Being bullied is not an innocent rite of passage or a natural feature of growing up; it has significant long-term implications,” said Wolke, noting that it is widespread across communities and socio-economic classes.
When a parent, trustworthy person, or teacher discovers that a child or youth seems to be distracted, upset, nervous, missing things that they have used to love, or experiencing aggression, it is necessary to think about what may be the cause.
Addressing abuse and associated mental health issues early will help avoid adverse traumatic interactions and keep children and young people going forward in a positive direction in education, with peers, and in their personal life.
Reference: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/bullying-affects-victims-and-bullies-into-adulthood-022013#3
https://www.stopbullying.gov/blog/2019/10/25/effects-bullying-mental-health
