BULLYING Some Causes and Effects- Physical and Emotional Effects

A report from the National Association of School Psychologists in the United States says that every day more than 160,000 children miss school because they fear being bullied.  Targets of bullying may  stop talking about school or about a particular class or activity at school.  They may try to go to school late each day or miss classes or even make excuses to miss school entirely.

How might children who are being  bullied  be identified?  Well, they may become moody, irritable, frustrated, or act tired and withdrawn.  They may become aggressive with those at home or with peers and friends. Innocent bystanders who observe acts of bullying also suffer consequences. The situation  induces considerable fear in them, which detracts from their ability to learn.

However, the journal Pediatrics in Review says:  "The most extreme  consequence of bulling for victims and society is violence, including suicide and murder.  The sense of powerlessness experienced by children who are victimized can be so profound that some react with self-destructive  ac ts or lethal retaliation."

Dr. Ed Adlaf, a research scientist at the University of Toronto, expresses concern that "those who  are involved in bullying are much  more likely to experience emotional difficulties now and in the future."  During the 2001 school year, more than 225,000 Ontario students were surveyed, and between  one fourth and one third of them were involved in some form of bullying, either as a target or as a perpetrator.  In the same group, 1 in 10 had serious considered contemplated suicide.

Persistent bullying may erode a victim's self-confidence, induce serious health problems, and even ruin a career. Bullied individuals may experience headaches, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.  Some develop post traumatic stress disorder. Whereas physical attacks may bring  on an outpouring  of sympathetic support for the victims, emotional attacks may not elicit the same response.  The damage is far less apparent. So instead of sympathizing, friends and family may tire of hearing the victim's complaints.

Bully also has bad effects on the bullies themselves. If not stopped in childhood, they will likely grow up to bully others in the workplace. In fact, some studies reveal that those had been bullies as children develop behavior patterns that endured into adult life.  They were also more likely to have a criminal record than those who were not bullies. 

Next time: BULLYING Some Causes and Effects - The Impact on the Family

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