The negative physical and mental effects of being bullied as a student are not temporary but can last for years. Research has summarized the long-term effects of bullying among students.
What is the definition of bullying?
Bullying is defined as “repeated attacks between people of the same age, resulting in an imbalance of power that makes it difficult for the victim to protect themselves.” According to this definition, attacks by parents or teachers are not bullying, but abuse, between two people of equal power. Fighting between people is not bullying. If there is a power imbalance between the perpetrator and the victim, such as an imbalance in numbers, strength, ability, intelligence, or social influence, the attack is more likely to be considered bullying.
Bullying
Bullying is the repeated use of words or actions to intentionally cause pain and harm to a person or group. It is usually done by individuals with more power or influence in order to make others feel helpless or powerless. Unlike conflict or dislike of someone, bullying involves behaviors such as exclusion, unpleasant behavior, name-calling, spreading rumors, harassment on personal grounds, physical harm, stalking and taking advantage of a position of authority. Bullying can happen anywhere, including schools, families, workplaces and online platforms, through text messages or emails and many other methods. No matter what form it takes, bullying causes severe pain and suffering for its victims.
Types of bullying
Face-to-face bullying involves physical behavior such as punching, kicking, or name-calling, while hidden bullying is less visible and includes ostracizing others or spreading rumors. Cyberbullying occurs online through messaging, social media and email, is often anonymous, and has a wide range of effects. Removing these materials can be challenging. Many online bullies also engage in offline bullying.
bullying situations
More than one in 10 11-year-olds report being a victim of bullying, according to a World Health Organization survey conducted in dozens of countries around the world.
A study of teenagers in European countries found that 20% of children had been bullied. Children and teenagers aged 8 to 18 report being bullied.
The harm caused by bullying often lasts for a long time, and research shows that children who are bullied in elementary school are more likely to be bullied even after entering middle school, and children who are bullied are more likely to be bullied. Studies at age 11 also show that nearly half of children who were bullied were still victims of bullying three years later.
The negative psychological impact of bullying on children
Children who are bullied often have difficulty adjusting to school, feel excluded from society, and are at high risk of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. These findings suggest that bullying has a serious negative impact on the mental health of children and adolescents. Research also shows that exposure to bullying in childhood and adolescence is associated with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. These findings are confounded by underlying factors such as mental health problems that occurred before the bullying began, gender, parents' socioeconomic status and IQ.
Research on the causal relationship between bullying and mental health has the limitation of relying on observational studies because it is impossible to conduct separate experiments on bullied and non-bullied groups. Still, studies using genetically identical identical twins have found that children who are bullied are more likely to develop mental health problems later in life than those who are not bullied. On the other hand, children with mutations in the serotonin transporter have a lower risk of developing mental health problems as a result of bullying, while children who grow up in supportive families are more likely to experience emotions that develop after being bullied. Biological and social factors also play a role in the negative effects of bullying.
The long-term negative psychological effects of bullying
Although few longitudinal studies have followed bullying victims long-term into adulthood, findings from a Finnish cohort study of bullying victims in childhood found that female victims who committed suicide were more likely to commit suicide or attempt suicide by age 25. suicide. Researchers also found that men who were bullied as children were at higher risk of developing anxiety disorders between the ages of 18 and 23 and were also at higher risk of developing a smoking habit.
In addition, a study of people who were bullied multiple times between the ages of 9 and 16 found that adults who were bullied for more than 10 years were more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, etc. What is already clear is that they are more likely to suffer from mental disorders such as panic disorder.
Additionally, multiple studies report that childhood bullying can have long-lasting negative effects on the psyche.
How bullying affects others
Bullying affects everyone involved, not just the victim and bully. If you witness or know about bullying, you may experience anger, fear, guilt, and sadness, feeling just as bad as the victim. There are also concerns that you may be targeted. Unresolved bullying creates an environment of acceptance and powerlessness.
Negative physical and socioeconomic impacts of bullying
Research shows that the long-term effects of bullying on victims extend beyond their mental health to their physical health. One study found that people who were bullied as children had higher levels of inflammation than those who were not bullied, and that women who were bullied were more likely to be obese.
Additionally, the impact of being a victim of bullying extends to financial status, social relationships, and quality of life in adulthood. One study found that victims of bullying tend to be less educated, which is a major problem because educational attainment in modern society is closely linked to socioeconomic levels. Yes. Additionally, by age 50, they may have fewer partners and fewer friends. showed that bullying victims had lower economic status as adults, even after controlling for factors such as mental disorders and family environment.
Stop bullies immediately
If you are bullied
You have the right to feel safe and to be treated fairly and with respect. Bullying is a serious problem that can have serious mental and physical consequences.
If you are being bullied, talk to someone you trust for support and advice. Bringing a friend with you can help you feel more comfortable dealing with a bully or asking for help. If you find it difficult to express your thoughts verbally, consider writing your thoughts down on paper or in an email. If you feel safe and confident, approach the bully and firmly communicate that their behavior is unacceptable. If bullying occurs at school, seek help from friends, teachers or counselors at school.
If someone you know is bullied
If someone you know is bullied, bystanders react to bullying differently. Some people join the bullies, laughing or promoting the abuse through text messages or social media. Others silently agreed or simply looked on. Some people are aware of bullying but take no action and don't know how to intervene. Finally, some people support the victim and take steps to stop bullying by seeking help or protecting the victim.
Being a supportive bystander means respecting and protecting the rights of others, just as we have our own human rights. It involves taking action to help someone who is being bullied. By supporting victims confidently and safely, we increase the likelihood of stopping bullying and helping those bullied to recover. Being a supportive bystander can be challenging because bullying can occur in various forms and settings, such as online or at school. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but here are some suggestions: Make it clear to friends that you will not support bullying, do not encourage or participate in bullying, avoid spreading gossip or harassing others, and support the person being bullied in seeking help from appropriate sources or authorities .
