The bullying consequences They are very serious, physical and especially psychological, and some people can have lifelong sequelae. Perhaps, if the authorities, teachers and parents understood better what bullying is, they would act more in its prevention and solution.
Some adults downplay it because they don't really understand children or teens. And it is that school and relationships with children of their age is their world, it is the most important thing for them.
In addition, I have come to hear the opinion of people who argue that bullying is a part of life and helps children to get stronger, an opinion that I consider wrong.
Probably most adults have suffered the typical pickings, fights, nicknames, insults or teasing. In fact, it is very likely that you, and most readers, have suffered some kind of abuse; statistics show that 50% to 70% of adults have suffered bullying.
The problem is that some children know how to defend themselves and do not allow themselves to be abused, while others do not have that capacity, either because of their personality or because they have other factors against it (culture, social support, economic capacity ...). Also, some are "mentally strong", they go on and recover and others are not..
Some especially serious effects are generalized anxiety, depression, substance abuse, or even suicide. Moreover, another alarming fact is that they occur in different spheres of life: economic / professional, social, psychological and physical.
On the other hand, it is evident that bullying especially affects the victim, although it also has some consequences on bystanders and abusers.
A 2014 study carried out by researchers at King's College London found that negative social, physical and mental effects were still evident 40 years later.
These researchers found that at age 50, participants who had been bullied as children were more likely to have poorer mental and physical health and worse cognitive functioning than those who had not been bullied..
In fact, some experts believe that bullying results in some toxic stress that affects children's physiological responses, explaining why children develop health problems.
In other research, a team of researchers from Duke University (Durham) found that children who had been involved in bullying (bystanders, victims or abusers), had higher levels of CRP - a protein that is released in the inflammatory response.
They measured CRP levels when the participants were adults and found that victims had the highest levels, while abusers had the lowest levels..
Lead author Dr. William E. Copeland, assistant professor at the Center for Developmental Epidemiology at Duke states:
Bullying and the continuous threat of being mistreated can have physiological consequences. There is evidence that over time this experience can alter biological responses to stress ... Over time, the wear and tear of these physiological changes can limit the individual's ability to respond to new challenges and puts them at greater risk of physical illness.
Another study that took twins - where one had been abused and the other had not - found that those who had been abused had higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
Therefore, victims of bullying would suffer a kind of “toxic stress” that affects their physiological responses and that explains why many of them develop long-term health problems..
In 2013, Professor Copeland also conducted another study to analyze the long-term consequences of bullying finding that:
Visit this article if you want to learn how to manage stress.
Short term:
Long-term:
Yes, the negative consequences of bullying are also economic.
In general, victims have fewer years of training and men are more likely to be unemployed. What's more, if they have a job, their salaries are lower.
Although this may seem strange, it may be related to the lower self-esteem of the abusers and lower social skills or even emotional intelligence.
Children who are abused at school become more isolated as adults.
According to studies, at age 50, victims are less likely to be married, with a partner, have friends, family and social life in general.
Victims often have difficulty socializing, are more pessimistic about the future, and less cooperative.
When a child or adolescent does not know how to deal with the emotions they experience, they may begin to develop psychosomatic symptoms..
Research in Finland and the United States has shown the relationship between abused children and increases in headaches, abdominal pain, bed wetting or sleep disorders.
The latter - sleep disorders - are especially worrisome, since a child who arrives at school tired will have learning difficulties.
In addition, parents can begin to medicate the child, believing that it is a medical problem, when it is a psychosocial problem.
Some researchers have stated that victims of bullying feel unsafe at school and do not feel adapted.
In addition, they have problems following the rules of the classes, studying well, they have demotivation and distractions.
Lastly, bullying can lead to poorer grades and less participation in classes or extracurricular activities..
Due to psychological and physical abuse, victims may come to view violence as acceptable and may carry weapons.
In addition, they can develop distrust of other people, destroying their relationships, and may appear defensive, unfriendly or hostile..
Although it is not the most frequent, it is possible and in fact it has occurred on occasions.
However, the majority of children or adolescents who are bullied do not have suicidal thoughts or suicidal behaviors..
Bullying is usually not the only cause, and other risk factors, such as depression, family problems, or traumatic histories, may contribute.
Generally, the less social support the young person has, the more risk they are.
Children who have been bystanders of bullying are more likely to:
Abusers also have other problems, although they are not due to the mere fact of being abusers, but to family, economic, psychological problems ...
Dr. Copeland believes that the most effective form of prevention requires parental involvement, methods that require greater discipline, and greater supervision:
“Once a child has been abused, it is critical that parents and teachers show support and make sure that the bullying does not continue. Bullying is often not taken seriously and is treated as normal ”.
And what consequences have you suffered from bullying?
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