effects of bullying on society essay

Bullying and Its Effects in Society Research Paper

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Bullying may occur at the workplace, schools, homes, and/or any other social setting. Research on bullying mainly focuses on its effects on people who have witnessed it. For example, Stop Bullying (2014) confirms that harassment affects people’s creativity levels, reduces morale, may cause accidents, influences moral and ethical judgment capacity, and/or hinders people from realizing their full potential in their areas of talent.

Forero, McLellan, Rissel, and Bauman (2009) confirm that bullying is expressed in the form of sexual harassment, verbal abuse, physical torture, and psychological torture. It has the implications of making children fail to attend schools. Besides lowering employee productivity, it makes people treat others as objects. Typical examples of world bullies include Hitler and Stalin. The effects of bullying on the society are not well studied. For this reason, this paper objects to conduct a mixed research study on the implications of bullying.

Problem Statement

Cases of maltreatment are rampant in administrative centers and even learning institutions that accommodate people from diverse backgrounds. To overcome the challenges of harassment, it is important to establish how the society sees the problem so that possible solutions can be developed to address specific issues that are associated with it.

Without this plan, any solution to overcome bullying lacks validity and reliability. Students in schools and workers in their workplaces need a good environment to not only converse, but also to participate in teamwork for them to lead productive lives. Bullying leaders may hinder this expectation, thus making it necessary to have tangible known effects of bullying in societal settings to facilitate the development of appropriate policies to manage it.

The purpose of any research is to specify the primary thing that it aims to achieve. The proposed research will identify the effects of bullying in schools, homes, and workplaces. This information will help in the formulation of policies to manage it within these social settings.

The primary objective of the proposed research encompasses studying the effects of bullying in schools, homes, and in workplaces. The paper conducts primary and an intensive secondary research on the same issue. Secondary research is critical in the development of a background to the research, which helps in determining the validity of the problem and suggested research methodologies.

This section is critical in ensuring that the primary research will not settle on research methodologies of research and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data that may not yield any tangible findings to guide the development of policies for mitigating the bullying problem in the society.

Research Questions

The research will focus on two research questions:

• What does the US society consider the impacts of bullying in schools, homes, and workplaces?
• Do the societies have potential solutions to the problems?

The scope of the proposed research will be on the US societies. The focus will be narrowed to workplaces, schools, and homes. Since it is impossible to collect data from all states in the US due to time and monetary limitations, the focus will only be in the state of California. As noted in the limitations section, this limited scope introduces challenges of generalization of results.

Significance of the Study

The proposed study will be significant in addressing the problems of bullying in the society. It will lay a fundamental background on the process of developing policies for managing it. Government and organizations develop policies that are necessary for achieving certain strategic goals and objectives. Efforts to solve particular problems that attract public concerns create the necessity to formulate and implement public policies.

Public policy constitutes an action that a government deems appropriate and/or inappropriate for the people it serves. It encompasses a set of aims coupled with specified group of activities, which when properly executed resolve a particular public problem. In the context of the proposed research, bullying is a public problem since it has negative implications on the society as stated in the background section.

Assumptions

The study will be conducted within state of California. Consequently, the findings are only applicable within the geographical region. However, since the goal of the study is to establish the effects of bullying in the US, an assumption is made that the research findings will correlate with other states and counties across the US.

This claim implies that research will assume that the findings will be generalizable so that they have both internal and external validity. The method that is utilized in a qualitative research needs to aid researchers to attain optimal levels of validity of their research for their work to add a significant knowledge to the body of knowledge they seek to amplify. The research will assume that its variables are a valid mechanism of measuring the problem of bullying in the state of California.

Limitations and Delimitations

Based on the assumptions of the study, it has the limitation of generalization of the results. This gap may introduce problems of validity and reliability. However, an effort is made to first establish a theoretical background that is informed by a wide range of scholarly researches in different geographical regions so that if the findings that are established within California correlate with other findings, the results become possible to generalize.

The theoretical background draws from secondary researches. Since these researches were conducted in the past, the applicability of the findings in the present geographical region of study presents some limitations. However, the primary research that is done using qualitative and quantitative data helps to resolve this problem.

Definition of Key Concepts

Reliability – Refers to the degree to which research variables and findings respond to the problem under research.

Bullying – This element encompasses any unwanted dominance or aggressive behaviors that are exercised over an individual at home, school, workplace, or any other social setting due to power imbalances. Powerful individuals normally direct it to the less powerful people.

Validity – The term refers to the “best approximation to the truth or falsity of proportions” (Rolfe, 2006, p.307).

Internal validity – The term refers to the degree of truth of various claims that are raised in the research and the existing variables.

External validity – Refers to the “extent to which one can generalize findings” (Cohen & Crabtree, 2008, p.333).

Literature Review

Various institutions bring together people from different backgrounds. For instance, schools bring together people from different socio-economic backgrounds and culture. Such people also have different physical, mental, and cognitive abilities.

Similar to schools, workplaces also have people who have different capabilities. In homes, different members of either nuclear or extended families have different powers of control. Irrespective of the institution, people may use their power inappropriately to bully those who have less power over their control or influence.

How Bullying affects the Society

Bullying denies people their rights of equity and equality in terms of participation in societal processes. Equality refers to a state of an affair in which people in a society or even isolated groups of people possess a similar status with reference to some certain respects. Social equality means possessing equal rights as stipulated by the law on property rights, freedom of speech, equal access to public social goods and public services, assembly rights, and voting rights.

Equality also means wellbeing impartiality, public safety fairness, and financial justice (Thorvaldur & Zoega, 2011). When organizations, schools, or homes have bullies, less powerful people develop a perception that they are less capable relative to people who control their life. Consequently, the bullied individuals loose equity and equality rights.

Bullying hinders the embracement of gains of diversity in organizations, especially when it exists along ethnic, racial, or gender demographic attributes. Diversity refers to the differences that are witnessed among people within an organization such as different religious and moral believes. It also includes professional and ability differences akin to people’s diverse gender, ethnic origin, racial background, sexuality, and age among other characteristics.

People have the right of access to quality public goods. Living in a bully-free social setting means the prevention of infringement of people’s freedoms (Hudson, 2009). Rights apply without discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. When one person dominates another person or influences his or her decision-making process akin to the perception of superiority, bullying is experienced.

Although they may seem like simple acts, some types of discrimination may amount to psychological torture or bullying. Discriminatory practices are those that segregate the quality of public goods such as healthcare and education, depending on characteristics such as ethnicity, race, sexuality, disability, gender, age, and nationality among others. The private sector may also explore discriminatory practices.

For example, a fast food organization explores discriminatory practices if it offers different eating areas for people from different racial backgrounds. It can also demonstrate segregation if it chooses to offer different foods and services qualities to such people. As such, some individuals determine where to seat, what to eat, how fast to eat, and the nature of the delivered service.

This observation amounts to bullying. Stop Bullying (2014) recommends social institutions to explore policies that enhance equality, diversity, and rights of all people, despite their demographic and psychographic differences. This situation constitutes an amicable strategy for overcoming bullying in the society.

Importance of Stopping Bullying

Every society needs to stop bullying since it has negative effects. It creates a sense of inferiority, which may hinder innovation and creativity in an organizational setting. Innovation means the introduction of a new business element that can be implemented to improve sales volume. In the business settings, innovation takes place in the form of introduction of new products, services, or technologies.

In the manufacturing context, innovation involves the introduction of new manufacturing processes and practices, new technologies, and new materials among other things, which help to lower the costs of production or increase the pace of production and quality of the manufactured products.

The process of innovation requires the participation of people in developing new ideas or new ways of doing things. Bullying makes it impossible for junior or less powerful people to present their ideas to the organizational management due to their perception of inferiority complex. In such a situation, an organization loses an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage due to power imbalances among its employees.

As revealed before, bullying needs to stop as it erodes people’s equity and equality rights. It also has physical, mental, and cognitive negative impacts on people who experience it. Polanin, Espelage, and Pigott (2012) assert, “Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes, including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide” (p.91).

It influences all people, including those who witness it and/or those who experience it. In school settings, bully pupils and students increase their exposure to risk of abuse of alcohol during their adolescent stage, smoking, and engagement in other defiant behaviors. They also vandalize property, engage in fights, and/or have a high probability of dropping out of school (Polanin et al., 2012). They are more likely to face convictions, abuse their partners, children, and even other adults at their adulthood.

Children who witness bullying have a high likelihood of abusing drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. They risk suffering from anxiety, depression, and other mental problems (Polanin et al., 2012). In fear of bullying, they also have high absenteeism rates. In workplaces, bullied workers have high turnover rates, low productivity, and less motivation.

They fear defending their own rights before their bullies. At home, bullied individual have poor participation in communication, live in fear, and anxiety. In some situations, they suffer from depression. To overcome all these problems, it is necessary to stop bullying in all social settings.

Types of Bullying, their Consequences, and Prevalence Levels in the US

Bullying may take several forms. Workplace bullying occurs within organizations and other places of work. Workplace bullying mainly influences new employees. It manifests itself in the form of blackmailing, humiliation, rejection by work peers, threats, and intimidations. This type of bullying causes low employee productivity.

Although there lacks accurate statistics on its prevalence in the US, stop Bullying (2014) approximates that workplace bullying lowers the productivity of an individual by up to 60%. Home-based bullying has the consequences of inducing fear for one’s partner or spouse and children. Children who experience this type of bullying have low concentration levels in schools. Besides, they experience low levels of cognitive development.

School-based bullying is perhaps the most common form of bullying in the US. A study by Nansel et al. (2011) reveals that between 15% and 20% of students reported being bullied over a period of one term. This prevalence level is lower compared to other places of the world. For example, Nansel et al. (2011) confirm that some countries record up to 70% students who claim to have experienced bullying. In schools across the globe, many cases of frequent bullying have been reported while other cases have occurred at least once in a week.

For example, research on a Malta sample indicated a 19% prevalence level while a sample on Irish school bullying reported a 1.9% prevalence level (Forero et al., 2009). The types of bulling may take the form of physical aggression, verbal abuse, name-calling, threats, and even rejections. It is important to note that most researches on bullying have been done in Australia and Europe (Nansel et al., 2011).

This finding creates a room for conducting similar researches in the US. Any place that creates a room for bullying needs to be investigated to determine the elements that attract such bullying cases. Therefore, this research will offer a working platform of determining such places in an attempt to come up with the best methods or strategies of fighting such evils.

Methodologies

Various scholars prescribe certain characteristics that a qualitative research must meet for results and recommendations to arrive at an effective resolution of the stated problem. For this reason, the methodology that is deployed in the research needs to have some specific characteristics. They include “credibility, reliability, use of rigorous methods and verification, validity and clarity, and coherence in reporting among others” (Cohen & Crabtree, 2008, p. 331).

A research can be designed as one of the four main approaches, viz. qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods (pragmatic approach), and emancipator approach (participatory or advocacy approach). In this research, pragmatic approach is utilized. Freshwater, Sherwood, and Drury (2006) posit, “Pragmatic researchers grant themselves the freedom to use any of the methods, techniques, and procedures that are typically associated with quantitative or qualitative research” (p.295).

The freedom of choice of method depends on the researchers’ perception and evaluation of methods that best suit the particular kind of research they are conducting. The best choice is the one that utilizes methodologies that complement one another. This aspect forms the basic logic for designing this research to use pragmatic approach that deploys aspects of both quantitative and qualitative research.

For the methodology of any qualitative research to be effective, it deserves to demonstrate various features or criteria for excellence as established by the preceding assessment criteria. However, such research designs have problems of validity.

Qualitative research lacks validity “because of the necessity to incorporate rigor and subjectivity as well as creativity into scientific process” (Whittermore, Chase & Mandle, 2001, p.522). Rigor is crucial for a systematic qualitative research (Finlay, 2006). The data that is adopted only needs to make use of particular criteria to establish relationships or differences. The proposed research establishes the prevalence of bullying in California. Besides, it determines the perception of its effects on the society.

The research will use questionnaire as the primary data collection tool. The independent variable is the perception and recognition of the existence of bullying in workplaces, schools, and homes within California.

The dependent variable is its effects and problems on the society (schools, homes and workplaces). Some questions that require qualitative information will also be used to help in the provision of data on specific perceptions about the effect of bullying in the society. Ten questions will be used to capture the aspects people’s experiences with bullying in schools, home, and workplaces as shown appendix 1.

Nine hundred copies of questionnaires will be distributed without selecting certain demographic characteristics of people who receive the questionnaires. Respondents will have to indicate these characteristics in the questionnaires. It will be expected that all the 900 people will answer all questions in the questionnaires promptly. Hence, no questionnaire is anticipated to be rejected.

Data will be analyzed through computations of percentages of responses for each question in the questionnaire. These results will then be used to conduct an analysis of people’s perception and recognition of the impacts of bullying in workplaces, homes, and in schools.

Reference List

Cohen, D., & Crabtree, B. (2008). Evaluative Criteria for Qualitative Research in Health Care: Controversies and Recommendations . Criteria for Qualitative Research, 6 (4), 331-339.

Finlay, L. (2006). Rigor, Ethical Integrity or Artistry” Reflexively Reviewing Criteria For Evaluating Qualitative Research. British Journal of occupational Therapy, 69 (7), 319-326.

Forero, R., McLellan, L., Rissel, C., & Bauman, A. (2009). Bullying behavior and psychosocial health among school students in New South Wales, Australia: cross sectional survey. BMJ, 319 (7), 344–348.

Freshwater, D., Sherwood, G., & Drury, V. (2006). International research collaboration: Issues, benefits and challenges of the global network. Journal of Research in marketing, 11 (4), 295-303.

Hudson, D. (2009). The Right to Privacy . New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.

Nansel, T., Overpeck, M., Pila, R., Ruan, R., Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2011). Bullying behaviors’ among US youth: prevalence and association with psychological adjustment. JAMA, 285 (16), 2094-2100.

Polanin, J., Espelage, L., & Pigott, T. (2012). A meta-analysis of school-based bullying prevention programs’ effects on bystander intervention behavior and empathy attitude. School Psychology Review, 41 (1), 89-97.

Rolfe, G. (2006). Validity, trustworthiness and rigor: quality and the idea of qualitative research. Journal of Advanced Marketing Research, 53 (3), 304-310.

Stop Bullying. (2014). Facts about Bullying . Web.

Thorvaldur, G., & Zoega, G. (2011). Educational Social Equity and Economic Growth: A View of the Landscape. CESifo Economic Studies, 49 (4), 557–579.

Whittermore, R., Chase, S., & Mandle, C. (2001). Validity in Qualitative Research. Qualitative health research, 11 (4), 522-537.

• Working in an organization
• Physical assault
• Abuse language
• Denial of work privileges
• Molestation
• Any other, specify
• Sought for psychological help
• Others (Specify)
• If your answer to question 4 is NO, what prevented you from seeking help? Specify
• Why do you thing bullying is inappropriate?
• What do you think the state of California should do to address the kind of bullying you have experienced?
• Psychological Research: Money Can Buy Happiness
• Penn State Child Sex Abuse Scandal
• Nature of Bullying
• Bullying in the Workplace
• Workplace Bullying Among Nurses in the Acute Setting
• Human Consciousness - Psychology
• Suicide in Teenager 14-18 Years Old
• Emotional Intelligence as a Factor of Professional Success
• Power Influence on People's Perceptions
• Positive Living Skills by Terry Orlick
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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The Broad Impact of School Bullying, and What Must Be Done

Major interventions are required to make schools safe learning environments..

Posted May 2, 2021 | Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano

• How to Handle Bullying
• Take our Anger Management Test
• Find a therapist to support kids or teens
• At least one in five kids is bullied, and a significant percentage are bullies. Both are negatively affected, as are bystanders.
• Bullying is an epidemic that is not showing signs of improvement.
• Evidence-based bullying prevention programs can be effective, but school adoption is inconsistent.

According to the U.S. federal government website StopBullying.gov :

There is no federal law that specifically applies to bullying . In some cases, when bullying is based on race or ethnicity , color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion, bullying overlaps with harassment and schools are legally obligated to address it.

The National Bullying Prevention Center reports data suggesting that one in five children have been bullied. There are many risk factors for being targeted, including being seen as weak, being different from peers including being LGBT or having learning differences or visible disabilities, being depressed or anxious, and having few friends. It's hard to measure how many engage in bullying, but estimates range from one in twenty, to much higher .

The American Association of University Women reports that in grades 7-12, 48 percent of students (56 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys) are sexually harassed. In college, rates of sexual harassment rise to 66 percent. Eleven percent are raped or sexually assaulted.

Silence facilitates traumatization

Only 20 percent of attacked young women report sexual assault . And 89 percent of undergraduate schools report zero sexual harassment. This means that children, adolescents, young adults and their friends are at high risk for being victimized. It means that many kids know what is happening, and don't do anything.

This may be from fear of retaliation and socialization into a trauma-permissive culture, and it may be from lack of proper education and training. Institutional betrayal , when organizations fail to uphold their promises and responsibilities, adds to the problem.

In some states such as New York, laws like “ the Dignity for All Students Act ” (DASA) apply only to public schools. Private, religious, and denominational schools are not included, leaving 20 percent of students in NYC and 10 percent throughout the state unprotected. Research shows that over the last decade, bullying in U.S. high schools has held steady around 20 percent, and 15 percent for cyberbullying.

The impact of bullying

While there is much research on how bullying affects mental health, social function, and academics, the results are scattered across dozens of papers. A recent paper in the Journal of School Violence (Halliday et al., 2021) presents a needed systematic literature review on bullying’s impact in children aged 10-18.

1. Psychological: Being a victim of bullying was associated with increased depression , anxiety , and psychosis . Victims of bullying reported more suicidal thinking and engaged in greater self-harming behaviors. They were more likely to experience social anxiety , body-image issues, and negative conduct. Simultaneous cyberbullying and conventional bullying were associated with more severe depression.

2. Social: Bullying victims reported greater problems in relationships with family, friends and in day-to-day social interactions. They reported they enjoyed time with family and friends less, felt they were being treated unfairly more easily, and liked less where they lived. Victimized children were less popular and likeable, and experienced more social rejection. They tended to be friends with other victims, potentially heightening problems while also providing social support.

3. Academic achievement: Victimized kids on average had lower grades. Over time, they did worse especially in math. They tended to be more proficient readers, perhaps as a result of turning to books for comfort in isolation (something people with a history of being bullied commonly report in therapy ).

4. School attitudes: Bullied children and adolescents were less engaged in education, had poorer attendance, felt less belonging, and felt more negatively about school.

5. What happens with age? Researchers studied adult psychiatric outcomes of bullying, looking at both victims and bullies, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry (Copeland et al., 2013). After controlling for other childhood hardships, researchers found that young adults experience increased rates of agoraphobia (fear of leaving the house), generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and increased depression risk. Men had higher suicide risk.

The impact of bullying does not stop in early adulthood. Research in the Journals of Gerontology (Hu, 2021) found that people over the age of 60 who were bullied as children had more severe depression and had lower life satisfaction.

6. Bullying and the brain: Work reported in Frontiers in Psychiatry (Muetzel et al., 2019) found that victims of bullying had thickening of the fusiform gyrus, an area of the cerebral cortex involved with facial recognition, and sensing emotions from facial expressions. 1 For those with posttraumatic stress disorder, brain changes may be extensive.

7. Bystanders are affected: Research also shows that bystanders have higher rates of anxiety and depression (Midgett et al., 2019). The problem is magnified for bystanders who are also victims. It is likely that taking appropriate action is protective.

Given that victims of bullying are at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ; Idsoe et al., 2012), it’s important to understand that many of the reported psychiatric findings may be better explained by PTSD than as a handful of overlapping but separate diagnoses. Trauma often goes unrecognized.

What can be done?

The psychosocial and academic costs of unmitigated bullying are astronomical, to say nothing of the considerable economic cost. Change is needed, but resistance to change, as with racism, gender bias, and other forms of discrimination , is built into how we see things.

Legislation: There is no federal antibullying legislation, and state laws may be weak and inconsistently applied. Given that bullying rates are no longer falling, it’s important for lawmakers and advocates to seek immediate changes.

Bullying prevention: Schools can adopt antibullying programs, though they are not universally effective and sometimes may backfire. Overall, however, research in JAMA Pediatrics (Fraguas et al., 2021) shows that antibullying programs reduce bullying, improve mental health outcomes, and stay effective over time. 2

Trauma-informed education creates an environment in which all participants are aware of the impact of childhood trauma and the need for specific modifications given how trauma is common among children and how it affects development.

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN):

"The primary mission of schools is to support students in educational achievement. To reach this goal, children must feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. Children exposed to violence and trauma may not feel safe or ready to learn. Not only are individual children affected by traumatic experiences, but other students, the adults on campus, and the school community can be impacted by interacting or working with a child who has experienced trauma. Thus, as schools maintain their critical focus on education and achievement, they must also acknowledge that mental health and wellness are innately connected to students’ success in the classroom and to a thriving school environment."

Parenting makes a difference. Certain parenting styles may set kids up for emotional abuse in relationships , while others may be protective. A 2019 study reported in Frontiers in Public Health (Plexousakis et al.) found that children with anxious, overprotective mothers were more likely to be victims.

Those with cold or detached mothers were more likely to become bullies. Overprotective fathering was associated with worse PTSD symptoms, likely by getting in the way of socialization. The children of overprotective fathers were also more likely to be aggressive.

Quality parental bonding, however, appeared to help protect children from PTSD symptoms. A healthy home environment is essential both for helping victims of bullying and preventing bullying in at-risk children.

Parents who recognize the need to learn more positive approaches can help buffer again the all-too-common cycle of passing trauma from generation to generation, building resilience and nurturing secure attachment to enjoy better family experiences and equip children to thrive.

State-by-state legislation

Bullying prevention programs (the KiVA program is also notable)

Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration and Bystander Experiences , Centers for Disease Control

Trauma-informed teaching

US Government Stop Bullying

1. Such differences could both result from being bullied (e.g. needing to scan faces for threat) and could also make being bullied more likely (e.g. misreading social cues leading to increased risk of being targeted).

2. Such programs focus on reducing negative messaging in order to keep stakeholders engaged, monitor and respond quickly to bullying, involve students in bullying prevention and detection in positive ways (e.g. being an “upstander” instead of a bystander), monitor more closely for bullying when the risk is higher (e.g. after anti-bullying trainings), respond fairly with the understanding that bullies often have problems of their own and need help, involved parents and teachers in anti-bullying education, and devote specific resources for anti-bullying.

Sarah Halliday, Tess Gregory, Amanda Taylor, Christianna Digenis & Deborah Turnbull (2021): The Impact of Bullying Victimization in Early Adolescence on Subsequent Psychosocial and Academic Outcomes across the Adolescent Period: A Systematic Review, Journal of School Violence, DOI: 10.1080/15388220.2021.1913598

Copeland WE, Wolke D, Angold A, Costello EJ. Adult Psychiatric Outcomes of Bullying and Being Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013;70(4):419–426. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.504

Bo Hu, PhD, Is Bullying Victimization in Childhood Associated With Mental Health in Old Age, The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Volume 76, Issue 1, January 2021, Pages 161–172, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbz115

Muetzel RL, Mulder RH, Lamballais S, Cortes Hidalgo AP, Jansen P, Güroğlu B, Vernooiji MW, Hillegers M, White T, El Marroun H and Tiemeier H (2019) Frequent Bullying Involvement and Brain Morphology in Children. Front. Psychiatry 10:696. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00696

Midgett, A., Doumas, D.M. Witnessing Bullying at School: The Association Between Being a Bystander and Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms. School Mental Health 11, 454–463 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-019-09312-6

Idsoe, T., Dyregrov, A. & Idsoe, E.C. Bullying and PTSD Symptoms. J Abnorm Child Psychol 40, 901–911 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-012-9620-0

Fraguas D, Díaz-Caneja CM, Ayora M, Durán-Cutilla M, Abregú-Crespo R, Ezquiaga-Bravo I, Martín-Babarro J, Arango C. Assessment of School Anti-Bullying Interventions: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Pediatr. 2021 Jan 1;175(1):44-55. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.3541. PMID: 33136156; PMCID: PMC7607493.

Plexousakis SS, Kourkoutas E, Giovazolias T, Chatira K and Nikolopoulos D (2019) School Bullying and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: The Role of Parental Bonding. Front. Public Health 7:75. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00075

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Grant Hilary Brenner, M.D., a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, helps adults with mood and anxiety conditions, and works on many levels to help unleash their full capacities and live and love well.

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• Research Resources

Consequences of Bullying

It is important for parents and people who work with children and adolescents to understand that bullying can have both short- and long-term effects on everyone involved. While most research on bullying has been about children and adolescents who have been bullied, those who bully others are also negatively impacted, as are those who are both bullied and bully others, and even those who are not directly involved but witness bullying.

Children Who Have Been Bullied

Research has found that children and adolescents who have been bullied can experience negative psychological, physical, and academic effects.

Psychological Effects

The psychological effects of bullying include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, self-harming behavior (especially for girls), alcohol and drug use and dependence, aggression, and involvement in violence or crime (especially for boys). While bullying can lead to mental health problems for any child, those who already have mental health difficulties are even more likely to be bullied and to experience its negative effects.

Cyberbullying – bullying that happens with computers or mobile devices – has also been linked to mental health problems. Compared with peers who were not cyberbullied, children who were cyberbullied report higher levels of depression and thoughts of suicide, as well as greater emotional distress, hostility, and delinquency.

Physical Effects

Bullying and Suicide

Bullying is a risk factor for depression and thinking about suicide. Children who bully others, are bullied, or both bully and are bullied are more likely to think about or attempt suicide than those who are not involved in bullying at all.

The physical effects of bullying can be obvious and immediate, such as being injured from a physical attack. However, the ongoing stress and trauma of being bullied can also lead to physical problems over time. A child who is bullied could develop sleep disorders - such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep - stomachaches, headaches, heart palpitations, dizziness, bedwetting, and chronic pain and somatization (i.e., a syndrome of distressful, physical symptoms that cannot be explained by a medical cause).

Being bullied also increases cortisol levels – a stress hormone – in the body, which typically happens after a stressful event. Stress from bullying can impact the immune system and hormones. Imaging studies show that brain activity and functioning can be affected by bullying, which may help explain the behavior of children who have been bullied.

Academic Effects

Research has consistently shown that bullying can have a negative impact on how well children and adolescents do in school. It has a negative impact on both grades and standardized test scores starting as early as kindergarten and continuing through high school.

Children Who Bully and Those Who Witness Bullying

Very little research has been done to understand the effects of bullying on children who bully, and those who witness bullying (e.g., bystanders). More research is needed to understand the consequences of bullying on the individuals who bully others, particularly to understand the differences between those who are generally aggressive and those who bully others.

Studies of children who witness bullying usually focus on their role in the bullying situation (e.g., if they backed up the child who bullied, or defended the victim) and why they did or did not intervene. While studies rarely assess the effects of bullying exposure on the witness, some research has found that bullying witnesses experience anxiety and insecurity based on their own fears of retaliation.

Children Who Bully and Are Also Bullied

Children and adolescents who bully others and who are also bullied are at the greatest risk for negative mental and physical health consequences, compared to those who only bully or are only being bullied. These children and adolescents may experience a combination of psychological problems, a negative perception of themselves and others, poor social skills, conduct problems, and rejection by their peer group.

Compared with non-involved peers, those who have bullied others and have also been bullied have been found to be at increased risk for serious mental illness, be at high risk for thinking about and attempting suicide, and demonstrate heightened aggression.

Exposure to bullying in any manner – by being bullied, bullying others, or witnessing peers being bullied – has long-term, negative effects on children. The School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey found that in 2015, about 21 percent of students ages 12-18 reported being bullied at school during the school year. Given the prevalence of youth exposed to bullying across the nation, it is important to understand the consequences of bullying on children and adolescents, how it relates to other violent behaviors and mental health challenges, in order to effectively address them.

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Source and Research Limitations

The information discussed in this fact sheet is based on the comprehensive review of bullying research presented in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s report entitled Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy, and Practice .

This report includes the most up to date research on bullying, but it is important to note that this research has several important limitations. Most of the research is cross-sectional, which means it took place at one point in time. This type of research shows us what things are related to each other at that time, but cannot tell us which thing came first or if one of those things caused the other to occur.

Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy, and Practice (2016)

Chapter: 1 introduction, 1 introduction.

Bullying, long tolerated by many as a rite of passage into adulthood, is now recognized as a major and preventable public health problem, one that can have long-lasting consequences ( McDougall and Vaillancourt, 2015 ; Wolke and Lereya, 2015 ). Those consequences—for those who are bullied, for the perpetrators of bullying, and for witnesses who are present during a bullying event—include poor school performance, anxiety, depression, and future delinquent and aggressive behavior. Federal, state, and local governments have responded by adopting laws and implementing programs to prevent bullying and deal with its consequences. However, many of these responses have been undertaken with little attention to what is known about bullying and its effects. Even the definition of bullying varies among both researchers and lawmakers, though it generally includes physical and verbal behavior, behavior leading to social isolation, and behavior that uses digital communications technology (cyberbullying). This report adopts the term “bullying behavior,” which is frequently used in the research field, to cover all of these behaviors.

Bullying behavior is evident as early as preschool, although it peaks during the middle school years ( Currie et al., 2012 ; Vaillancourt et al., 2010 ). It can occur in diverse social settings, including classrooms, school gyms and cafeterias, on school buses, and online. Bullying behavior affects not only the children and youth who are bullied, who bully, and who are both bullied and bully others but also bystanders to bullying incidents. Given the myriad situations in which bullying can occur and the many people who may be involved, identifying effective prevention programs and policies is challenging, and it is unlikely that any one approach will be ap-

propriate in all situations. Commonly used bullying prevention approaches include policies regarding acceptable behavior in schools and behavioral interventions to promote positive cultural norms.

STUDY CHARGE

Recognizing that bullying behavior is a major public health problem that demands the concerted and coordinated time and attention of parents, educators and school administrators, health care providers, policy makers, families, and others concerned with the care of children, a group of federal agencies and private foundations asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to undertake a study of what is known and what needs to be known to further the field of preventing bullying behavior. The Committee on the Biological and Psychosocial Effects of Peer Victimization:

Lessons for Bullying Prevention was created to carry out this task under the Academies’ Board on Children, Youth, and Families and the Committee on Law and Justice. The study received financial support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Highmark Foundation, the National Institute of Justice, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Semi J. and Ruth W. Begun Foundation, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The full statement of task for the committee is presented in Box 1-1 .

Although the committee acknowledges the importance of this topic as it pertains to all children in the United States and in U.S. territories, this report focuses on the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Also, while the committee acknowledges that bullying behavior occurs in the school

environment for youth in foster care, in juvenile justice facilities, and in other residential treatment facilities, this report does not address bullying behavior in those environments because it is beyond the study charge.

CONTEXT FOR THE STUDY

This section of the report highlights relevant work in the field and, later in the chapter under “The Committee’s Approach,” presents the conceptual framework and corresponding definitions of terms that the committee has adopted.

Historical Context

Bullying behavior was first characterized in the scientific literature as part of the childhood experience more than 100 years ago in “Teasing and Bullying,” published in the Pedagogical Seminary ( Burk, 1897 ). The author described bullying behavior, attempted to delineate causes and cures for the tormenting of others, and called for additional research ( Koo, 2007 ). Nearly a century later, Dan Olweus, a Swedish research professor of psychology in Norway, conducted an intensive study on bullying ( Olweus, 1978 ). The efforts of Olweus brought awareness to the issue and motivated other professionals to conduct their own research, thereby expanding and contributing to knowledge of bullying behavior. Since Olweus’s early work, research on bullying has steadily increased (see Farrington and Ttofi, 2009 ; Hymel and Swearer, 2015 ).

Over the past few decades, venues where bullying behavior occurs have expanded with the advent of the Internet, chat rooms, instant messaging, social media, and other forms of digital electronic communication. These modes of communication have provided a new communal avenue for bullying. While the media reports linking bullying to suicide suggest a causal relationship, the available research suggests that there are often multiple factors that contribute to a youth’s suicide-related ideology and behavior. Several studies, however, have demonstrated an association between bullying involvement and suicide-related ideology and behavior (see, e.g., Holt et al., 2015 ; Kim and Leventhal, 2008 ; Sourander, 2010 ; van Geel et al., 2014 ).

In 2013, the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requested that the Institute of Medicine 1 and the National Research Council convene an ad hoc planning committee to plan and conduct a 2-day public workshop to highlight relevant information and knowledge that could inform a multidisciplinary

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1 Prior to 2015, the National Academy of Medicine was known as the Institute of Medicine.

road map on next steps for the field of bullying prevention. Content areas that were explored during the April 2014 workshop included the identification of conceptual models and interventions that have proven effective in decreasing bullying and the antecedents to bullying while increasing protective factors that mitigate the negative health impact of bullying. The discussions highlighted the need for a better understanding of the effectiveness of program interventions in realistic settings; the importance of understanding what works for whom and under what circumstances, as well as the influence of different mediators (i.e., what accounts for associations between variables) and moderators (i.e., what affects the direction or strength of associations between variables) in bullying prevention efforts; and the need for coordination among agencies to prevent and respond to bullying. The workshop summary ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2014c ) informs this committee’s work.

Federal Efforts to Address Bullying and Related Topics

Currently, there is no comprehensive federal statute that explicitly prohibits bullying among children and adolescents, including cyberbullying. However, in the wake of the growing concerns surrounding the implications of bullying, several federal initiatives do address bullying among children and adolescents, and although some of them do not primarily focus on bullying, they permit some funds to be used for bullying prevention purposes.

The earliest federal initiative was in 1999, when three agencies collaborated to establish the Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative in response to a series of deadly school shootings in the late 1990s. The program is administered by the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice to prevent youth violence and promote the healthy development of youth. It is jointly funded by the Department of Education and by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The program has provided grantees with both the opportunity to benefit from collaboration and the tools to sustain it through deliberate planning, more cost-effective service delivery, and a broader funding base ( Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2015 ).

The next major effort was in 2010, when the Department of Education awarded $38.8 million in grants under the Safe and Supportive Schools (S3) Program to 11 states to support statewide measurement of conditions for learning and targeted programmatic interventions to improve conditions for learning, in order to help schools improve safety and reduce substance use. The S3 Program was administered by the Safe and Supportive Schools Group, which also administered the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act State and Local Grants Program, authorized by the

1994 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 2 It was one of several programs related to developing and maintaining safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools. In addition to the S3 grants program, the group administered a number of interagency agreements with a focus on (but not limited to) bullying, school recovery research, data collection, and drug and violence prevention activities ( U.S. Department of Education, 2015 ).

A collaborative effort among the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Interior, and Justice; the Federal Trade Commission; and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders created the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention (FPBP) Steering Committee. Led by the U.S. Department of Education, the FPBP works to coordinate policy, research, and communications on bullying topics. The FPBP Website provides extensive resources on bullying behavior, including information on what bullying is, its risk factors, its warning signs, and its effects. 3 The FPBP Steering Committee also plans to provide details on how to get help for those who have been bullied. It also was involved in creating the “Be More than a Bystander” Public Service Announcement campaign with the Ad Council to engage students in bullying prevention. To improve school climate and reduce rates of bullying nationwide, FPBP has sponsored four bullying prevention summits attended by education practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and federal officials.

In 2014, the National Institute of Justice—the scientific research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice—launched the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative with a congressional appropriation of $75 million. The funds are to be used for rigorous research to produce practical knowledge that can improve the safety of schools and students, including bullying prevention. The initiative is carried out through partnerships among researchers, educators, and other stakeholders, including law enforcement, behavioral and mental health professionals, courts, and other justice system professionals ( National Institute of Justice, 2015 ).

In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act was signed by President Obama, reauthorizing the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which is committed to providing equal opportunities for all students. Although bullying is neither defined nor prohibited in this act, it is explicitly mentioned in regard to applicability of safe school funding, which it had not been in previous iterations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

The above are examples of federal initiatives aimed at promoting the

2 The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act was included as Title IV, Part A, of the 1994 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. See http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/gun_violence/sect08-i.html [October 2015].

3 For details, see http://www.stopbullying.gov/ [October 2015].

healthy development of youth, improving the safety of schools and students, and reducing rates of bullying behavior. There are several other federal initiatives that address student bullying directly or allow funds to be used for bullying prevention activities.

Definitional Context

The terms “bullying,” “harassment,” and “peer victimization” have been used in the scientific literature to refer to behavior that is aggressive, is carried out repeatedly and over time, and occurs in an interpersonal relationship where a power imbalance exists ( Eisenberg and Aalsma, 2005 ). Although some of these terms have been used interchangeably in the literature, peer victimization is targeted aggressive behavior of one child against another that causes physical, emotional, social, or psychological harm. While conflict and bullying among siblings are important in their own right ( Tanrikulu and Campbell, 2015 ), this area falls outside of the scope of the committee’s charge. Sibling conflict and aggression falls under the broader concept of interpersonal aggression, which includes dating violence, sexual assault, and sibling violence, in addition to bullying as defined for this report. Olweus (1993) noted that bullying, unlike other forms of peer victimization where the children involved are equally matched, involves a power imbalance between the perpetrator and the target, where the target has difficulty defending him or herself and feels helpless against the aggressor. This power imbalance is typically considered a defining feature of bullying, which distinguishes this particular form of aggression from other forms, and is typically repeated in multiple bullying incidents involving the same individuals over time ( Olweus, 1993 ).

Bullying and violence are subcategories of aggressive behavior that overlap ( Olweus, 1996 ). There are situations in which violence is used in the context of bullying. However, not all forms of bullying (e.g., rumor spreading) involve violent behavior. The committee also acknowledges that perspective about intentions can matter and that in many situations, there may be at least two plausible perceptions involved in the bullying behavior.

A number of factors may influence one’s perception of the term “bullying” ( Smith and Monks, 2008 ). Children and adolescents’ understanding of the term “bullying” may be subject to cultural interpretations or translations of the term ( Hopkins et al., 2013 ). Studies have also shown that influences on children’s understanding of bullying include the child’s experiences as he or she matures and whether the child witnesses the bullying behavior of others ( Hellström et al., 2015 ; Monks and Smith, 2006 ; Smith and Monks, 2008 ).

In 2010, the FPBP Steering Committee convened its first summit, which brought together more than 150 nonprofit and corporate leaders,

researchers, practitioners, parents, and youths to identify challenges in bullying prevention. Discussions at the summit revealed inconsistencies in the definition of bullying behavior and the need to create a uniform definition of bullying. Subsequently, a review of the 2011 CDC publication of assessment tools used to measure bullying among youth ( Hamburger et al., 2011 ) revealed inconsistent definitions of bullying and diverse measurement strategies. Those inconsistencies and diverse measurements make it difficult to compare the prevalence of bullying across studies ( Vivolo et al., 2011 ) and complicate the task of distinguishing bullying from other types of aggression between youths. A uniform definition can support the consistent tracking of bullying behavior over time, facilitate the comparison of bullying prevalence rates and associated risk and protective factors across different data collection systems, and enable the collection of comparable information on the performance of bullying intervention and prevention programs across contexts ( Gladden et al., 2014 ). The CDC and U.S. Department of Education collaborated on the creation of the following uniform definition of bullying (quoted in Gladden et al., 2014, p. 7 ):

Bullying is any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.

This report noted that the definition includes school-age individuals ages 5-18 and explicitly excludes sibling violence and violence that occurs in the context of a dating or intimate relationship ( Gladden et al., 2014 ). This definition also highlighted that there are direct and indirect modes of bullying, as well as different types of bullying. Direct bullying involves “aggressive behavior(s) that occur in the presence of the targeted youth”; indirect bullying includes “aggressive behavior(s) that are not directly communicated to the targeted youth” ( Gladden et al., 2014, p. 7 ). The direct forms of violence (e.g., sibling violence, teen dating violence, intimate partner violence) can include aggression that is physical, sexual, or psychological, but the context and uniquely dynamic nature of the relationship between the target and the perpetrator in which these acts occur is different from that of peer bullying. Examples of direct bullying include pushing, hitting, verbal taunting, or direct written communication. A common form of indirect bullying is spreading rumors. Four different types of bullying are commonly identified—physical, verbal, relational, and damage to property. Some observational studies have shown that the different forms of bullying that youths commonly experience may overlap ( Bradshaw et al., 2015 ;

Godleski et al., 2015 ). The four types of bullying are defined as follows ( Gladden et al., 2014 ):

• Physical bullying involves the use of physical force (e.g., shoving, hitting, spitting, pushing, and tripping).
• Verbal bullying involves oral or written communication that causes harm (e.g., taunting, name calling, offensive notes or hand gestures, verbal threats).
• Relational bullying is behavior “designed to harm the reputation and relationships of the targeted youth (e.g., social isolation, rumor spreading, posting derogatory comments or pictures online).”
• Damage to property is “theft, alteration, or damaging of the target youth’s property by the perpetrator to cause harm.”

In recent years, a new form of aggression or bullying has emerged, labeled “cyberbullying,” in which the aggression occurs through modern technological devices, specifically mobile phones or the Internet ( Slonje and Smith, 2008 ). Cyberbullying may take the form of mean or nasty messages or comments, rumor spreading through posts or creation of groups, and exclusion by groups of peers online.

While the CDC definition identifies bullying that occurs using technology as electronic bullying and views that as a context or location where bullying occurs, one of the major challenges in the field is how to conceptualize and define cyberbullying ( Tokunaga, 2010 ). The extent to which the CDC definition can be applied to cyberbullying is unclear, particularly with respect to several key concepts within the CDC definition. First, whether determination of an interaction as “wanted” or “unwanted” or whether communication was intended to be harmful can be challenging to assess in the absence of important in-person socioemotional cues (e.g., vocal tone, facial expressions). Second, assessing “repetition” is challenging in that a single harmful act on the Internet has the potential to be shared or viewed multiple times ( Sticca and Perren, 2013 ). Third, cyberbullying can involve a less powerful peer using technological tools to bully a peer who is perceived to have more power. In this manner, technology may provide the tools that create a power imbalance, in contrast to traditional bullying, which typically involves an existing power imbalance.

A study that used focus groups with college students to discuss whether the CDC definition applied to cyberbullying found that students were wary of applying the definition due to their perception that cyberbullying often involves less emphasis on aggression, intention, and repetition than other forms of bullying ( Kota et al., 2014 ). Many researchers have responded to this lack of conceptual and definitional clarity by creating their own measures to assess cyberbullying. It is noteworthy that very few of these

definitions and measures include the components of traditional bullying—i.e., repetition, power imbalance, and intent ( Berne et al., 2013 ). A more recent study argues that the term “cyberbullying” should be reserved for incidents that involve key aspects of bullying such as repetition and differential power ( Ybarra et al., 2014 ).

Although the formulation of a uniform definition of bullying appears to be a step in the right direction for the field of bullying prevention, there are some limitations of the CDC definition. For example, some researchers find the focus on school-age youth as well as the repeated nature of bullying to be rather limiting; similarly the exclusion of bullying in the context of sibling relationships or dating relationships may preclude full appreciation of the range of aggressive behaviors that may co-occur with or constitute bullying behavior. As noted above, other researchers have raised concerns about whether cyberbullying should be considered a particular form or mode under the broader heading of bullying as suggested in the CDC definition, or whether a separate defintion is needed. Furthermore, the measurement of bullying prevalence using such a definiton of bullying is rather complex and does not lend itself well to large-scale survey research. The CDC definition was intended to inform public health surveillance efforts, rather than to serve as a definition for policy. However, increased alignment between bullying definitions used by policy makers and researchers would greatly advance the field. Much of the extant research on bullying has not applied a consistent definition or one that aligns with the CDC definition. As a result of these and other challenges to the CDC definition, thus far there has been inconsistent adoption of this particular definition by researchers, practitioners, or policy makers; however, as the definition was created in 2014, less than 2 years is not a sufficient amount of time to assess whether it has been successfully adopted or will be in the future.

THE COMMITTEE’S APPROACH

This report builds on the April 2014 workshop, summarized in Building Capacity to Reduce Bullying: Workshop Summary ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2014c ). The committee’s work was accomplished over an 18-month period that began in October 2014, after the workshop was held and the formal summary of it had been released. The study committee members represented expertise in communication technology, criminology, developmental and clinical psychology, education, mental health, neurobiological development, pediatrics, public health, school administration, school district policy, and state law and policy. (See Appendix E for biographical sketches of the committee members and staff.) The committee met three times in person and conducted other meetings by teleconferences and electronic communication.

Information Gathering

The committee conducted an extensive review of the literature pertaining to peer victimization and bullying. In some instances, the committee drew upon the broader literature on aggression and violence. The review began with an English-language literature search of online databases, including ERIC, Google Scholar, Lexis Law Reviews Database, Medline, PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Web of Science, and was expanded as literature and resources from other countries were identified by committee members and project staff as relevant. The committee drew upon the early childhood literature since there is substantial evidence indicating that bullying involvement happens as early as preschool (see Vlachou et al., 2011 ). The committee also drew on the literature on late adolescence and looked at related areas of research such as maltreatment for insights into this emerging field.

The committee used a variety of sources to supplement its review of the literature. The committee held two public information-gathering sessions, one with the study sponsors and the second with experts on the neurobiology of bullying; bullying as a group phenomenon and the role of bystanders; the role of media in bullying prevention; and the intersection of social science, the law, and bullying and peer victimization. See Appendix A for the agendas for these two sessions. To explore different facets of bullying and give perspectives from the field, a subgroup of the committee and study staff also conducted a site visit to a northeastern city, where they convened four stakeholder groups comprised, respectively, of local practitioners, school personnel, private foundation representatives, and young adults. The site visit provided the committee with an opportunity for place-based learning about bullying prevention programs and best practices. Each focus group was transcribed and summarized thematically in accordance with this report’s chapter considerations. Themes related to the chapters are displayed throughout the report in boxes titled “Perspectives from the Field”; these boxes reflect responses synthesized from all four focus groups. See Appendix B for the site visit’s agenda and for summaries of the focus groups.

The committee also benefited from earlier reports by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine through its Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education and the Institute of Medicine, most notably:

• Reducing Risks for Mental Disorders: Frontiers for Preventive Intervention Research ( Institute of Medicine, 1994 )
• Community Programs to Promote Youth Development ( National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2002 )
• Deadly Lessons: Understanding Lethal School Violence ( National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2003 )
• Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities ( National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2009 )
• The Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking: Workshop Report ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2011 )
• Communications and Technology for Violence Prevention: Workshop Summary ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2012 )
• Building Capacity to Reduce Bullying: Workshop Summary ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2014c )
• The Evidence for Violence Prevention across the Lifespan and Around the World: Workshop Summary ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2014a )
• Strategies for Scaling Effective Family-Focused Preventive Interventions to Promote Children’s Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Health: Workshop Summary ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2014b )
• Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2015 )

Although these past reports and workshop summaries address various forms of violence and victimization, this report is the first consensus study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the state of the science on the biological and psychosocial consequences of bullying and the risk and protective factors that either increase or decrease bullying behavior and its consequences.

Terminology

Given the variable use of the terms “bullying” and “peer victimization” in both the research-based and practice-based literature, the committee chose to use the current CDC definition quoted above ( Gladden et al., 2014, p. 7 ). While the committee determined that this was the best definition to use, it acknowledges that this definition is not necessarily the most user-friendly definition for students and has the potential to cause problems for students reporting bullying. Not only does this definition provide detail on the common elements of bullying behavior but it also was developed with input from a panel of researchers and practitioners. The committee also followed the CDC in focusing primarily on individuals between the ages of 5 and 18. The committee recognizes that children’s development occurs on a continuum, and so while it relied primarily on the CDC defini-

tion, its work and this report acknowledge the importance of addressing bullying in both early childhood and emerging adulthood. For purposes of this report, the committee used the terms “early childhood” to refer to ages 1-4, “middle childhood” for ages 5 to 10, “early adolescence” for ages 11-14, “middle adolescence” for ages 15-17, and “late adolescence” for ages 18-21. This terminology and the associated age ranges are consistent with the Bright Futures and American Academy of Pediatrics definition of the stages of development. 4

A given instance of bullying behavior involves at least two unequal roles: one or more individuals who perpetrate the behavior (the perpetrator in this instance) and at least one individual who is bullied (the target in this instance). To avoid labeling and potentially further stigmatizing individuals with the terms “bully” and “victim,” which are sometimes viewed as traits of persons rather than role descriptions in a particular instance of behavior, the committee decided to use “individual who is bullied” to refer to the target of a bullying instance or pattern and “individual who bullies” to refer to the perpetrator of a bullying instance or pattern. Thus, “individual who is bullied and bullies others” can refer to one who is either perpetrating a bullying behavior or a target of bullying behavior, depending on the incident. This terminology is consistent with the approach used by the FPBP (see above). Also, bullying is a dynamic social interaction ( Espelage and Swearer, 2003 ) where individuals can play different roles in bullying interactions based on both individual and contextual factors.

The committee used “cyberbullying” to refer to bullying that takes place using technology or digital electronic means. “Digital electronic forms of contact” comprise a broad category that may include e-mail, blogs, social networking Websites, online games, chat rooms, forums, instant messaging, Skype, text messaging, and mobile phone pictures. The committee uses the term “traditional bullying” to refer to bullying behavior that is not cyberbullying (to aid in comparisons), recognizing that the term has been used at times in slightly different senses in the literature.

Where accurate reporting of study findings requires use of the above terms but with senses different from those specified here, the committee has noted the sense in which the source used the term. Similarly, accurate reporting has at times required use of terms such as “victimization” or “victim” that the committee has chosen to avoid in its own statements.

4 For details on these stages of adolescence, see https://brightfutures.aap.org/Bright%20Futures%20Documents/3-Promoting_Child_Development.pdf [October 2015].

ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT

This report is organized into seven chapters. After this introductory chapter, Chapter 2 provides a broad overview of the scope of the problem.

Chapter 3 focuses on the conceptual frameworks for the study and the developmental trajectory of the child who is bullied, the child who bullies, and the child who is bullied and also bullies. It explores processes that can explain heterogeneity in bullying outcomes by focusing on contextual processes that moderate the effect of individual characteristics on bullying behavior.

Chapter 4 discusses the cyclical nature of bullying and the consequences of bullying behavior. It summarizes what is known about the psychosocial, physical health, neurobiological, academic-performance, and population-level consequences of bullying.

Chapter 5 provides an overview of the landscape in bullying prevention programming. This chapter describes in detail the context for preventive interventions and the specific actions that various stakeholders can take to achieve a coordinated response to bullying behavior. The chapter uses the Institute of Medicine’s multi-tiered framework ( National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2009 ) to present the different levels of approaches to preventing bullying behavior.

Chapter 6 reviews what is known about federal, state, and local laws and policies and their impact on bullying.

After a critical review of the relevant research and practice-based literatures, Chapter 7 discusses the committee conclusions and recommendations and provides a path forward for bullying prevention.

The report includes a number of appendixes. Appendix A includes meeting agendas of the committee’s public information-gathering meetings. Appendix B includes the agenda and summaries of the site visit. Appendix C includes summaries of bullying prevalence data from the national surveys discussed in Chapter 2 . Appendix D provides a list of selected federal resources on bullying for parents and teachers. Appendix E provides biographical sketches of the committee members and project staff.

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Bullying has long been tolerated as a rite of passage among children and adolescents. There is an implication that individuals who are bullied must have "asked for" this type of treatment, or deserved it. Sometimes, even the child who is bullied begins to internalize this idea. For many years, there has been a general acceptance and collective shrug when it comes to a child or adolescent with greater social capital or power pushing around a child perceived as subordinate. But bullying is not developmentally appropriate; it should not be considered a normal part of the typical social grouping that occurs throughout a child's life.

Although bullying behavior endures through generations, the milieu is changing. Historically, bulling has occurred at school, the physical setting in which most of childhood is centered and the primary source for peer group formation. In recent years, however, the physical setting is not the only place bullying is occurring. Technology allows for an entirely new type of digital electronic aggression, cyberbullying, which takes place through chat rooms, instant messaging, social media, and other forms of digital electronic communication.

Composition of peer groups, shifting demographics, changing societal norms, and modern technology are contextual factors that must be considered to understand and effectively react to bullying in the United States. Youth are embedded in multiple contexts and each of these contexts interacts with individual characteristics of youth in ways that either exacerbate or attenuate the association between these individual characteristics and bullying perpetration or victimization. Recognizing that bullying behavior is a major public health problem that demands the concerted and coordinated time and attention of parents, educators and school administrators, health care providers, policy makers, families, and others concerned with the care of children, this report evaluates the state of the science on biological and psychosocial consequences of peer victimization and the risk and protective factors that either increase or decrease peer victimization behavior and consequences.

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Essay on Bullying

Here we have shared the Essay on Bullying in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 300, 500, or 1000 words.

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Essay on Bullying in 150 words

Essay on bullying in 250-300 words, essay on bullying in 500-1000 words.

Bullying is a serious issue that affects individuals of all ages, particularly in schools and online platforms. It involves repeated aggressive behavior aimed at causing harm, imbalance of power, and psychological distress to the victim. Bullying can take various forms, such as physical, verbal, or relational aggression.

The consequences of bullying are significant and long-lasting. Victims often experience emotional and psychological trauma, leading to decreased self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation. Bullying also creates an unhealthy and hostile environment, impacting the overall well-being of individuals and hindering their ability to thrive and learn.

To combat bullying, it is crucial to raise awareness, promote empathy, and foster a culture of respect and inclusivity. Schools and communities should implement anti-bullying policies and provide support systems for both victims and perpetrators. Education on the effects of bullying and the importance of kindness and empathy can help prevent and address this issue effectively. It is everyone’s responsibility to stand up against bullying and create a safe and nurturing environment for all individuals.

Bullying is a harmful and pervasive issue that involves repeated aggressive behavior aimed at causing harm, distress, and power imbalance. It manifests in various forms such as physical, verbal, or relational aggression, primarily affecting individuals in schools.

The consequences of bullying are significant and far-reaching. Victims often experience emotional and psychological trauma, leading to decreased self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and, in extreme cases, suicidal ideation. Bullying not only impacts individual victims but also creates an unhealthy environment that hampers overall well-being and learning.

To combat bullying effectively, awareness and prevention strategies are essential. Raising awareness about the nature and consequences of bullying among students, teachers, parents, and communities is crucial. Implementing comprehensive anti-bullying policies in schools, defining bullying, establishing reporting mechanisms, and imposing appropriate consequences for perpetrators is necessary. Fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and inclusivity can prevent bullying and create a safer environment.

Support systems should be in place for both victims and bullies. Victims need access to counseling and resources to cope with the effects of bullying. Intervention programs and counseling can help bullies develop empathy, address underlying issues, and learn alternative behaviors.

Collaboration between schools, parents, and communities is vital. Open communication, encouraging reporting, and proactive measures are necessary to create a positive and safe environment.

In conclusion, bullying is a harmful issue with severe consequences for individuals and communities. By raising awareness, implementing policies, fostering a culture of respect and empathy, and providing support, we can combat bullying effectively. Together, we can create a society where bullying is not tolerated, and individuals can thrive in safe and inclusive environments.

Title: Bullying – The Menace That Demands Immediate Attention

Introduction :

Bullying is a persistent and alarming issue that plagues individuals across various environments, with schools being a common breeding ground for such behavior. This essay aims to explore the definition and types of bullying, its detrimental effects on victims, the underlying causes, the role of bystanders, and the strategies required to effectively address and prevent bullying.

I. Definition and Types of Bullying

Bullying is a form of repeated and intentional aggression characterized by a power imbalance, where the bully seeks to cause harm, distress, and domination over the victim. It can take various forms, including physical aggression, verbal abuse, relational manipulation, and cyberbullying.

II. Detrimental Effects of Bullying

Bullying has severe consequences for the mental, emotional, and social well-being of victims. It can lead to decreased self-esteem, anxiety, depression, academic decline, school avoidance, and in extreme cases, suicidal ideation or attempts. The long-lasting effects of bullying extend beyond the immediate victim, creating a hostile and unhealthy environment for all individuals involved.

III. Underlying Causes of Bullying

Several factors contribute to the development of bullying behavior. These may include family dynamics, exposure to aggression or violence, a desire for power and control, low empathy levels, and a lack of appropriate social skills. Additionally, societal factors such as media influence and cultural norms may indirectly support or perpetuate bullying behavior.

IV. The Role of Bystanders

Bystanders play a significant role in the bullying dynamic. They can either reinforce the bully’s behavior by passively observing or actively participating, or they can intervene and support the victim. Creating a culture where bystanders feel empowered to speak up against bullying and report incidents is crucial in addressing this issue.

V. Strategies to Address and Prevent Bullying

A. awareness and education, b. establishing clear policies and consequences, c. encouraging reporting and support, d. empathy and social-emotional learning, e. involving the community.

Raising awareness about the detrimental effects of bullying and its various forms is essential. Educational institutions should implement comprehensive anti-bullying programs that educate students, teachers, and parents about the signs of bullying, its impact, and the importance of intervention.

Schools should have well-defined anti-bullying policies that outline the definition of bullying, reporting procedures, and consequences for perpetrators. These policies should be communicated effectively to all stakeholders to create a safe and inclusive environment.

Creating a safe reporting system where victims and witnesses feel comfortable reporting incidents is crucial. Offering support and counseling services for victims, as well as intervention programs for bullies, helps address the underlying issues and promote behavioral change.

Integrating empathy and social-emotional learning programs into the curriculum can foster a culture of respect, kindness, and empathy. Teaching students how to manage emotions, develop healthy relationships, and resolve conflicts peacefully can prevent bullying behavior.

Engaging parents, community members, and local organizations in anti-bullying initiatives fosters a collective effort in addressing this issue. Collaboration between schools, families, and communities is essential to create a comprehensive and sustained approach to bullying prevention.

Conclusion :

Bullying is a deeply concerning issue that inflicts significant harm on individuals and communities. By raising awareness, implementing clear policies, fostering empathy, involving bystanders, and providing support, we can effectively address and prevent bullying. It is our collective responsibility to create safe and inclusive environments where every individual can thrive without fear of aggression or harm. Through concerted efforts, we can eradicate bullying and cultivate a society built on respect, empathy, and equality.

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How does bullying affect health and well-being?

Bullying can affect physical and emotional health, both in the short term and later in life. It can lead to physical injury, social problems, emotional problems, and even death. 1 Those who are bullied are at increased risk for mental health problems, headaches, and problems adjusting to school. 2 Bullying also can cause long-term damage to self-esteem. 3

Children and adolescents who are bullies are at increased risk for substance use, academic problems, and violence to others later in life. 2

Those who are both bullies and victims of bullying suffer the most serious effects of bullying and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral problems than those who are only bullied or who are only bullies. 2

NICHD research studies show that anyone involved with bullying—those who bully others, those who are bullied, and those who bully and are bullied—are at increased risk for depression. 4

NICHD-funded research studies also found that unlike traditional forms of bullying, youth who are bullied electronically—such as by computer or cell phone—are at higher risk for depression than the youth who bully them. 5 Even more surprising, the same studies found that cyber victims were at higher risk for depression than were cyberbullies or bully-victims (i.e., those who both bully others and are bullied themselves), which was not found in any other form of bullying. Read more about these findings in the NICHD news release: Depression High Among Youth Victims of School Cyberbullying, NIH Researchers Report .  

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Fact sheet: Understanding bullying . Retrieved June 17, 2016, from https://www.cdc.gov/youth-violence/about/about-bullying.html .
• Smokowski, P. R., & Kopasz, K. H. (2005). Bullying in school: An overview of types, effects, family characteristics, and intervention strategies. Children and Schools, 27, 101–109.

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2010). Taking a stand against bullying. Retrieved June 17, 2016, from http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/resources/spotlight/092110-taking-stand-against-bullying
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2012). Focus on children's mental health research at the NICHD. Retrieved June 17, 2016, from http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/resources/spotlight/060112-childrens-mental-health

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Early Recognition and Intervention of Bullying and Cyberbullying: Strategies, Challenges, and Solutions

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Bullying and cyberbullying remain pervasive issues affecting children and adolescents worldwide, with significant psychological, social, and academic consequences. Despite increased awareness, many cases of bullying go unrecognized or are addressed too late, exacerbating the negative impacts on both bullies and victims. Early recognition and intervention are crucial in mitigating these effects and promoting a safer, healthier environment for youth. This Research Topic delves into the multifaceted aspects of bullying and cyberbullying, aiming to uncover effective strategies, identify challenges, and propose comprehensive solutions to enhance early detection and improve prevention and intervention efforts. The primary goal of this Research Topic is to explore current research on the early recognition, prevention, and intervention of bullying and cyberbullying. By identifying barriers and examining innovative methods for detecting, preventing, and intervening, we aim to provide a robust framework for educators, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers to effectively address bullying and cyberbullying. This Research Topic invites contributions that explore various aspects of bullying and cyberbullying, with a focus on early recognition, prevention, and intervention. The collection welcomes papers targeting the following subthemes: - Examination of early recognition and intervention strategies for bullying and cyberbullying in diverse settings. - Investigation of novel methods for early disclosure of bullying and cyberbullying, including emerging technologies and digital platforms. - Analysis of the challenges faced in the recognition of bullying behaviors, including bias-based bullying (race, gender, religion, etc.), across different cultural and social contexts. - Exploration of the psychological, social, and academic consequences of late recognition of bullying and cyberbullying. - Examination of the role of educators, parents, peers, and the broader school environment in the early detection and intervention of bullying and cyberbullying. - Evaluation of the effectiveness of anonymous reporting systems and digital platforms in early disclosure of bullying and cyberbullying incidents. - Research into the utilization of artificial intelligence and machine learning for identifying, predicting, and addressing cyberbullying. This collection seeks to foster collaboration and inspire new research directions, ultimately contributing to the reduction of bullying and its adverse effects on children and adolescents.

Keywords : Bullying, Cyberbullying, Early recognition, Artificial intelligence, Victimization, Intervention strategies

Important Note : All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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In this 1940s photo, three schoolboys make fun of another boy's clothes.

Bullying's Long-Term Effects Seen in Both the Bullied and the Bully

While bullied kids can have depression and anxiety in adulthood, the bullies may have less chronic stress.

The effects of bullying in childhood can last a lifetime, both for the child who's bullied and for his or her tormenter.

But according to a Duke University study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , while young adults show long-term ill effects of having been bullied in childhood, those who did the bullying might actually be healthier than their peers in one important measure.

The report is based on findings from the longitudinal Great Smoky Mountains Study , which started in 1993 and followed 1,420 children from western North Carolina. Researchers interviewed the participants at up to nine points in time, first when they were children and adolescents (aged 9 to 16) and again when they were young adults (aged 19 to 21). The study was led by William Copeland , an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Earlier reports, including some from the Great Smoky Mountains Study, showed that young adults who were bullied as children can have long-term mental health problems such as anxiety disorders , panic disorder , and depression .

But this is the first indication that being the bully might actually be protective. The reason this escaped earlier notice, according to Copeland, is that previous work lumped together two kinds of bullies: those who were also sometimes bullied themselves (whom he calls bully-victims) and those who were "pure bullies."

Bully-victims "have the worst long-term emotional problems and poor health outcomes," Copeland and his co-authors wrote. By separating them out of the analysis in this new study, they wrote, it became clear that "pure" bullies "gain benefits from bullying others without incurring costs and may be healthier than their peers, emotionally and physically."

Protective Effect of Bullying?

The current study measured blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)—a biomarker of chronic inflammation that's been linked to cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome —over several points in time during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. CRP is a sign of stress on the body, Copeland said, and "a harbinger of health problems down the road."

CRP levels increased in all participants as the study subjects got older, the scientists found. But those who had been bullied had the highest level of increase, and former bullies had the lowest. Those who were bully-victims fell somewhere in between, at about the same level as participants who had not been involved in childhood bullying at all.

"There seems to be a protective effect for the bullies because of this enhanced social status, or their success that comes along with being a good bully," Copeland said. The pattern was present even after controlling for body mass index, substance use, health status, and exposure to other types of trauma.

But Catherine Bradshaw, deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence in Baltimore, Maryland, cautioned against overinterpreting the lower CRP levels in bullies. Rather than a health benefit, the lower CRP levels might just reflect a difference in the bullies' underlying biology, not unlike biological differences that have been seen elsewhere in children and adults with patterns of aggressive behavior.

And even if the Duke findings are evidence that being a bully might be good for people, at least along this one dimension, it shouldn't be read as a license to bully, she said.

There are "well-documented studies, both short- and long-term, showing that kids who are involved in bullying do have other problematic outcomes," Bradshaw said. For instance, children who bully are more likely to be members of gangs, carry a weapon, and have truancy problems .

Copeland added that the enhanced social status of bullies that he believes might account for their lower CRP levels can and should be achieved in more morally acceptable ways. Varsity sports, anyone?

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Cause And Effect Of Bullying Essay | What is Bullying? Causes, Effects and Types of Bullying

August 28, 2021 by Prasanna

Cause And Effect Of Bullying Essay: What is Bullying? Every day, people are bullied into doing things they don’t want to do. Bullying is when someone is mistreated in some way and is hurt by it. Bullying can be physical, verbal or emotional. The person being bullied feels threatened and unsafe. It’s always a bad idea to bully someone else, and it’s not just because you’ll get in trouble for it – you will also feel terrible about yourself afterward.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

The Effect of Bullying in Children

Bullying is a serious form of violence against children. It not only affects the children who are being bullied, but also those who bully as well as bystanders. Bullying can be physical, psychological, social, or cyber-based. The effect of bullying on children can be very dire. It can lead to academic underachievement and suspension from school among other consequences.Children who are bullied often feel unsafe in their schools and fear getting to school or go there for fear of being victimized by bullies again and again. This phenomenon is called “school phobia” or “school refusal.” Many children with this condition give up on attending school altogether which negatively impacts them academically and socially. We know that bullying can lead to various problems such as: anxiety, depression, stress, anger and low self-esteem. It can also have a negative effect on school performance. Bullying behaviors are associated with violence and criminal behavior later in life.

The Causes of Bullying in Children

Bullying is a behavior that is not only negative but can be destructive for the victim. It is an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Bullying is a serious issue in the lives of many people, and it has been proven to have adverse effects on the individual. It can cause feelings of isolation, fear, anxiety, and depression. Victims often feel alone and they do not know where to turn for help. The sooner bullying can be stopped the better for everyone involved. Bullying can also be caused by other factors such as:

• A need for power and control: Some individuals become addicted to the feeling of power and control of people, hence, they actively try to achieve this by any means necessary. As an analogy, people often turn to drugs as a means of escape from pain, anxiety, or boredom. Similarly, bullies try to seek power and control because they themselves might have felt helpless or powerless at some point in their lives.
• Fear of vulnerability and exposure: Fear of vulnerability and exposure is a common human feeling. It’s the fear of being seen as imperfect, having your flaws out on display, or being vulnerable in any way. It can be a huge psychological block for people in their personal lives, careers, and relationships
• To dominate and gain superiority in social status: Most individuals, especially teenagers and young adults, would tell you that social status is important. The desire to be accepted and have an elevated place in society has been around since the beginning of time. Everybody wants to feel like they belong somewhere, and social approval is a surefire way to feel that sense of belongingness.

What Type of Child is More Likely to Bully?

The type of child who is more likely to bully is the child who has been bullied. Moreover, studies show that children who are more aggressive, less empathic, and less likely to have a strong moral compass are more likely to be bullies in a school environment.

Preventing Bullying: A parent or teacher can effectively prevent bullying or at least minimize such behaviour in the following ways:

• Validate the child’s feelings, but don’t give in to them. Children, especially young ones, can be pretty convincing. After all, to them, their requests should always be met.
• Teach them to understand their own emotions. Learning to understand their emotions is a vital part of emotional intelligence.
• Teach them empathy and coping skills. In a world where people are increasingly polarized and separated by their ideas, beliefs and interests, empathy is more important than ever. Humans are hardwired to be empathic beings. When we empathize with one another, it not only benefits the other person but also ourselves.
• Protect and enforce the consequences of bullying. The problem of bullying is not new. This issue has been around for years and has continued to grow in spite of the many efforts to combat it. Hence, enforce necessary actions against individuals who continue to practice bullying even after repeated verbal warnings and counselling.

The Wonderful Effects of Kindness and Compassion

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that being kind and compassionate can have a profound impact on our emotional well-being. It’s always been said that people need certain traits in order to be happy, and it turns out, kindness may be one of those traits. The more we do for others, the happier we become. Interestingly, this makes kindness sound a lot like happiness, doesn’t it? Compassion is not just an emotion; it’s also an attitude. It starts with us focusing on the needs of others, rather than what they can do for us. Compassion is understanding the difficulties that people face and trying to help them overcome the same. Moreover, compassionate people are generally well-liked by others because they are supportive and make everyone feel good about themselves.

In Conclusion , bullying is a serious problem for many children as well as young adults. It can take many forms, but the most common forms of bullying are verbal teasing, name-calling, social exclusion or physical attack. Most bullying usually happens at school or university, but it can also happen online and among peers at home or elsewhere outside the school environment. Even with anti-bullying campaigns and specific laws in place, instances of bullying are supposed to be lower. However, this is not the case because people are not aware of the effects of bullying or the consequences for their actions. Hence, awareness must be created about bullying and its consequences among the general public, especially students and young adults.

FAQ’s on Cause And Effect Of Bullying

Question 1. What is bullying?

Answer: Bullying is a form of abuse that involves unwanted aggressive behavior. It can happen in person or online and to people of any age group. However, students and young adults are more likely to be exposed to bullying.

Question 2. What are the effects of bullying?

Answer: Bullying can have long-term impacts on your health and well-being, including feelings of sadness and anger, loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy, social withdrawal and changes in sleep patterns.

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Long-term effects of bullying

Dieter wolke.

1 Department of Psychology and Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

Suzet Tanya Lereya

2 Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

Bullying is the systematic abuse of power and is defined as aggressive behaviour or intentional harm-doing by peers that is carried out repeatedly and involves an imbalance of power. Being bullied is still often wrongly considered as a ‘normal rite of passage’. This review considers the importance of bullying as a major risk factor for poor physical and mental health and reduced adaptation to adult roles including forming lasting relationships, integrating into work and being economically independent. Bullying by peers has been mostly ignored by health professionals but should be considered as a significant risk factor and safeguarding issue.

Definition and epidemiology

Bullying is the systematic abuse of power and is defined as aggressive behaviour or intentional harm-doing by peers that is carried out repeatedly and involves an imbalance of power , either actual or perceived, between the victim and the bully. 1 Bullying can take the form of direct bullying, which includes physical and verbal acts of aggression such as hitting, stealing or name calling, or indirect bullying, which is characterised by social exclusion (eg, you cannot play with us, you are not invited, etc) and rumour spreading. 2–4 Children can be involved in bullying as victims and bullies, and also as bully/victims, a subgroup of victims who also display bullying behaviour. 5 6 Recently there has been much interest in cyberbullying, which can be broadly defined as any bullying which is performed via electronic means, such as mobile phones or the internet. One in three children report having been bullied at some point in their lives, and 10–14% experience chronic bullying lasting for more than 6 months. 7 8 Between 2% and 5% are bullies and a similar number are bully/victims in childhood/adolescence. 9 Rates of cyberbullying are substantially lower at around 4.5% for victims and 2.8% for perpetrators (bullies and bully/victims), with up to 90% of the cyber-bullying victims also being traditionally (face to face) bullied. 10 Being bullied by peers is the most frequent form of abuse encountered by children, much higher than abuse by parents or other adult perpetrators 11 ( box 1 ).

Bullying screener

• Are threatened or blackmailed or have their things stolen
• Are insulted or get called nasty names
• Have nasty tricks played on them/are subject to ridicule
• Are hit, shoved around or beaten up
• Get deliberately left out of get-togethers, parties, trips or groups
• Have others ignore them, not wanting to be their friend anymore, or not wanting them around in their group
• Have nasty lies, rumours or stories told about them
• Have their private email, instant mail or text messages forwarded to someone else or have them posted where others can see them
• Have rumours spread about them online
• Get threatening or aggressive emails, instant messages or text messages
• Have embarrassing pictures posted online without their permission

(Answered for A, B, and C separately on this 4-point scale)

• Not much (1–3 times)
• Quite a lot (more than 4 times)
• A lot (at least once a week)

Victims : Happened to them: quite a lot/a lot; did to others: never/not much

Bully/victims : Happened to them: quite a lot/a lot; did to others: quite a lot/a lot

Bullies : Happened to them: never/not much; did to others: quite a lot/a lot

Adapted from refs 3 8 12 13

Bullying is not conduct disorder

Bullying is found in all societies, including modern hunter-gatherer societies and ancient civilisations. It is considered an evolutionary adaptation, the purpose of which is to gain high status and dominance, 14 get access to resources, secure survival, reduce stress and allow for more mating opportunities. 15 Bullies are often bi-strategic, employing both bullying and also acts of aggressive ‘prosocial’ behaviour to enhance their own position by acting in public and making the recipient dependent as they cannot reciprocate. 16 Thus, pure bullies (but not bully/victims or victims) have been found to be strong, highly popular and to have good social and emotional understanding. 17 Hence, bullies most likely do not have a conduct disorder. Moreover, unlike conduct disorder, bullies are found in all socioeconomic 18 and ethnic groups. 12 In contrast, victims have been described as withdrawn, unassertive, easily emotionally upset, and as having poor emotional or social understanding, 17 19 while bully/victims tend to be aggressive, easily angered, low on popularity, frequently bullied by their siblings 20 and come from families with lower socioeconomic status (SES), 18 similar to children with conduct disorder.

How bullies operate

Bullying occurs in settings where individuals do not have a say concerning the group they want to be in. This is the situation for children in school classrooms or at home with siblings, and has been compared to being ‘caged’ with others. In an effort to establish a social network or hierarchy, bullies will try to exert their power with all children. Those who have an emotional reaction (eg, cry, run away, are upset) and have nobody or few to stand up for them, are the repeated targets of bullies. Bullies may get others to join in (laugh, tease, hit, spread rumours) as bystanders or even as henchmen (bully/victims). It has been shown that conditions that foster higher density and greater hierarchies in classrooms (inegalitarian conditions), 21 at home 22 or even in nations, 23 increase bullying 24 and the stability of bullying victimisation over time. 25

Adverse consequences of being bullied

Until fairly recently, most studies on the effects of bullying were cross-sectional or just included brief follow-up periods, making it impossible to identify whether bullying is the cause or consequence of health problems. Thus, this review focuses mostly on prospective studies that were able to control for pre-existing health conditions, family situation and other exposures to violence (eg, family violence) in investigating the effects of being involved in bullying on subsequent health, self-harm and suicide, schooling, employment and social relationships.

Childhood and adolescence (6–17 years)

A fully referenced summary of the consequences of bullying during childhood and adolescence on prospectively studied outcomes up to the age of 17 years is shown in table 1 . Children who were victims of bullying have been consistently found to be at higher risk for common somatic problems such as colds, or psychosomatic problems such as headaches, stomach aches or sleeping problems, and are more likely to take up smoking. 39 40 Victims have also been reported to more often develop internalising problems and anxiety disorder or depression disorder. 31 Genetically sensitive designs allowed comparison of monozygotic twins who are genetically identical and live in the same households but were discordant for experiences of bullying. Internalising problems was found to have increased over time only in those who were bullied, 32 providing strong evidence that bullying rather than other factors explains increases in internalising problems. Furthermore, victims of bullying are at significantly increased risk of self-harm or thinking about suicide in adolescence. 43 44 Furthermore, being bullied in primary school has been found to both predict borderline personality symptoms 30 and psychotic experiences, such as hallucinations or delusions, by adolescence. 37 Where investigated, those who were either exposed to several forms of bullying or were bullied over long periods of time (chronic bullying) tended to show more adverse effects. 31 37 In contrast to the consistently moderate to strong relationships with somatic and mental health outcomes, the association between being bullied and poor academic functioning has not been as strong as expected. 51 A meta-analysis only indicated a small negative effect of victimisation on mostly concurrent academic performance and the effects differed whether bullying was self-reported or by peers or teachers. 47 Those studies that distinguished between victims and bully/victims usually reported that bully/victims had a slightly higher risk for somatic and mental health problems than pure victims. 41 52 Furthermore, most studies considered bullies and bully/victims together; however, as outlined above, the two roles are quite different with bullies often highly competent manipulators and ringleaders, while bully/victims are described as impulsive and poor in regulating their emotions. 53 We know little about the mental health outcomes of bullies in childhood, but there are some suggestions that they may also be at slightly increased risk of depression or self-harm, 33 45 however, less so than victims. Similarly, the relationship between being a bully and somatic health is weaker than in bully/victims, 39 or bullies have even been found to be healthier and stronger than children not involved in bullying. 41 Bullying perpetration has been found to increase the risk of offending in adolescence; 54 however, the analysis did not distinguish between bullies and bully/victims and did not include information about poly-victimisation (eg, being maltreated by parents). Bullies were also more likely to display delinquent behaviour and perpetrate dating violence by eighth grade. 50

Table 1

Consequences of involvement in bullying behaviour in childhood and adolescence on outcomes assessed up to 17 years of age

Childhood to adulthood (18–50 years)

Children who were victims of bullying have been consistently found to be at higher risk for internalising problems, in particular diagnoses of anxiety disorder 55 and depression 9 in young adulthood and middle adulthood (18–50 years of age) ( table 2 ). 56 Furthermore, victims were at increased risk for displaying psychotic experiences at age 18 8 and having suicidal ideation, attempts and completed suicides. 56 Victims were also reported to have poor general health, 65 including more bodily pain, headaches and slower recovery from illnesses. 57 Moreover, victimised children were found to have lower educational qualifications, be worse at financial management 57 and to earn less than their peers even at age 50. 56 69 Victims were also reported to have more trouble making or keeping friends and to be less likely to live with a partner and have social support. No association between substance use, anti-social behaviour and victimisation was found. The studies that distinguished between victims and bully/victims showed that usually bully/victims had a slightly higher risk for anxiety, depression, psychotic experiences, suicide attempts and poor general health than pure victims. 9 They also had even lower educational qualifications and trouble keeping a job and honouring financial obligations. 57 65 In contrast to pure victims, bully/victims were at increased risk for displaying anti-social behaviour and were more likely to become a young parent. 62 70 71 Again, we know less about pure bullies, but where studied, they were not found to be at increased risk for any mental or general health problems. Indeed, they were healthier than their peers, emotionally and physically. 9 57 However, pure bullies may be more deviant and more likely to be less educated and to be unemployed. 65 They have also been reported to be more likely to display anti-social behaviour, and be charged with serious crime, burglary or illegal drug use. 58 59 66 However, many of these effects on delinquency may disappear when other adverse family circumstances are controlled for. 57

Table 2

Consequences of involvement in bullying behaviour in childhood/adolescence on outcomes in young adulthood and adulthood (18–50 years)

The findings from prospective child, adolescent and adult outcome studies are summarised in figure 1 .

The impact of being bullied on functioning in teenagers and adulthood.

The carefully controlled prospective studies reviewed here provide a converging picture of the long-term effects of being bullied in childhood. First, the effects of being bullied extend beyond the consequences of other childhood adversity and adult abuse. 9 In fact, when compared to the experience of having been placed into care in childhood, the effects of frequent bullying were as detrimental 40 years later 56 ! Second, there is a dose–effect relationship between being victimised by peers and outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Those who were bullied more frequently, 56 more severely (ie, directly and indirectly) 31 or more chronically (ie, over a longer period of time 8 ) have worse outcomes. Third, even those who stopped being bullied during school age showed some lingering effects on their health, self-worth and quality of life years later compared to those never bullied 72 but significantly less than those who remained victims for years (chronic victims). Fourth, where victims and bully/victims have been considered separately, bully/victims seem to show the poorest outcomes concerning mental health, economic adaptation, social relationships and early parenthood. 8 9 62 70 Lastly, studies that distinguished between bullies and bully/victims found few adverse effects of being a pure bully on adult outcomes. This is consistent with a view that bullies are highly sophisticated social manipulators who are callous and show little empathy. 73

There are a variety of potential routes by which being victimised may affect later life outcomes. Being bullied may alter physiological responses to stress, 74 interact with a genetic vulnerability such as variation in the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene, 75 or affect telomere length (ageing) or the epigenome. 76 Altered HPA-axis activity and altered cortisol responses may increase the risk for developing mental health problems 77 and also increase susceptibility to illness by interfering with immune responses. 78 In contrast, bullying may also differentially affect normal chronic inflammation and associated health problems that can persist into adulthood. 64 Chronically raised C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, a marker of low-grade systemic inflammation in the body, increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders and mental health problems such as depression. 79 Blood tests revealed that CRP levels in the blood of bullied children increased with the number of times they were bullied. Additional blood tests carried out on the children after they had reached 19 and 21 years of age revealed that those who were bullied as children had CRP levels more than twice as high as bullies, while bullies had CRP levels lower than those who were neither bullies nor victims ( figure 2 ). Thus, bullying others appears to have a protective effect consistent with studies showing lower inflammation for individuals with higher socioeconomic status 80 and studies with non-human primates showing health benefits for those higher in the social hierarchy. 81 The clear implication of these findings is that both ends of the continuum of social status in peer relationships are important for inflammation levels and health status.

Adjusted mean young adult C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (mg/L) based on childhood/adolescent bullying status. These values are adjusted for baseline CRP levels as well as other CRP-related covariates. All analyses used robust SEs to account for repeated observations (reproduced from Copeland et al 64 ).

Furthermore, experiences of threat by peers may alter cognitive responses to threatening situations. 82 Both altered stress responses and altered social cognition (eg, being hypervigilant to hostile cues 38 ) and neurocircuitry 83 related to bullying exposure may affect social relationships with parents, friends and co-workers. Finally, victimisation, in particular of bully/victims, affects schooling and has been found to be associated with school absenteeism. In the UK alone, over 16 000 young people aged 11–15 are estimated to be absent from state school with bullying as the main reason, and 78 000 are absent where bullying is one of the reasons given for absence. 84 The risk of failure to complete high school or college in chronic victims or bully/victims increases the risk of poorer income and job performance. 57

Summary and implications

Childhood bullying has serious effects on health, resulting in substantial costs for individuals, their families and society at large. In the USA, it has been estimated that preventing high school bullying results in lifetime cost benefits of over $1.4 million per individual. 85 In the UK alone, over 16 000 young people aged 11–15 are estimated to be absent from state school with bullying as the main reason, and 78 000 are absent where bullying is one of the reasons given for absence. 86 Many bullied children suffer in silence, and are reluctant to tell their parents or teachers about their experiences, for fear of reprisals or because of shame. 87 Up to 50% of children say they would rarely, or never, tell their parents, while between 35% and 60% would not tell their teacher. 11

Considering this evidence of the ill effects of being bullied and the fact that children will have spent much more time with their peers than their parents by the time they reach 18 years of age, it is more than surprising that childhood bullying is not at the forefront as a major public health concern. 88 Children are hardly ever asked about their peer relationships by health professionals. This may be because health professionals are poorly educated about bullying and find it difficult to raise the subject or deal with it. 89 However, it is important considering that many children abstain from school due to bullying and related health problems and being bullied throws a long shadow over their lives. To prevent violence against the self (eg, self-harm) and reduce mental and somatic health problems, it is imperative for health practitioners to address bullying.

Contributors: DW conceived the review, produced the first draft and revised it critically; STL contributed to the literature research and writing, and critically reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Funding: This review was partly supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) grant ES/K003593/1.

Competing interests: None.

Provenance and peer review: Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

Essay on Bullying

Essay generator.

Bullying is a pervasive issue that affects individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. It is a problem that transcends geographical boundaries and has profound emotional, psychological, and even physical consequences on its victims. In recent years, the global community has recognized the urgency of addressing this issue and has taken significant steps to combat bullying. This essay aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of bullying, its various forms, the reasons behind it, its consequences, and strategies to prevent and address it.

Bullying can be defined as a deliberate and repeated aggressive behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or exert control over another person. This harmful behavior can manifest in various forms, including physical, verbal, relational, and cyberbullying.

Types of Bullying

• Physical Bullying : Physical bullying involves direct physical harm or the threat of harm to the victim. This can include hitting, pushing, kicking, or any other form of physical aggression.
• Verbal Bullying : Verbal bullying includes using words or language to hurt, humiliate, or belittle another person. It can take the form of name-calling, insults, taunts, or spreading rumors.
• Relational Bullying : Relational bullying, also known as social bullying, aims to damage a person’s reputation or social standing. It involves manipulating social relationships, spreading gossip, or excluding someone from a group.
• Cyberbullying : With the rise of technology, cyberbullying has become a significant concern. It involves using electronic devices and social media to harass, threaten, or embarrass others. This form of bullying can have severe consequences due to its widespread nature.

Reasons Behind Bullying

Understanding the motivations behind bullying is crucial for addressing the issue effectively. Some common reasons include:

• Power and Control : Bullies often seek power and control over their victims, using intimidation to feel superior.
• Insecurity: Some bullies may suffer from low self-esteem and use bullying as a way to boost their own confidence.
• Peer Pressure : Individuals may engage in bullying due to pressure from peers or a desire to fit in with a certain group.
• Lack of Empathy: A lack of empathy or understanding for the feelings of others can lead to bullying behavior.

Dealing With Bullying (for Teens)

Bullying is a distressing and challenging issue that many teenagers face at some point in their lives. It can take various forms, such as physical, verbal, relational, or cyberbullying, and can have lasting emotional and psychological effects. If you or someone you know is dealing with bullying, here are some important steps and strategies to consider:

• Recognize It: The first step in dealing with bullying is recognizing it. Understand that bullying can be subtle, and it’s not always easy to identify. It’s crucial to distinguish between a conflict or disagreement and genuine bullying behavior.
• Talk About It: Don’t keep your feelings or experiences bottled up. Talk to someone you trust, whether it’s a friend, family member, teacher, or counselor. Sharing your experiences can provide emotional support and guidance.
• Keep Records: Document instances of bullying, including dates, times, locations, and the people involved. This documentation can be valuable if you decide to report the bullying to school authorities or law enforcement.
• Avoid Retaliation: While it’s natural to feel angry and want to retaliate, avoid responding to the bully with aggression. Retaliation can escalate the situation and lead to more harm. Focus on seeking help and support instead.
• Seek Adult Help: Talk to a trusted adult about the bullying. They can provide guidance, help you report the issue to school officials or authorities if necessary, and ensure your safety.
• Use Technology Wisely: In the case of cyberbullying, protect your online presence by adjusting privacy settings, blocking the bully, and avoiding engaging in any further online conflicts.
• Know Your Rights: Familiarize yourself with your school’s anti-bullying policies and your legal rights. Schools are required to take bullying seriously and take appropriate actions to address it.
• Report It: If the bullying continues or escalates, report it to school authorities and, if necessary, to local law enforcement. Provide them with your documentation and any evidence you have.
• Stay Safe Online: Be cautious with your online presence, and avoid sharing personal information or engaging in online conflicts. Report cyberbullying to the platform or social media site administrators.

Consequences of Bullying

Bullying has profound and lasting consequences on both the victim and the bully. These consequences include:

• Emotional and Psychological Effects: Victims often experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts. Bullies may develop a pattern of aggressive behavior that persists into adulthood.
• Academic Impact: Bullying can disrupt a student’s ability to concentrate, leading to poor academic performance and school avoidance.
• Health Consequences: Both victims and bullies may experience physical health problems, such as headaches, stomachaches, and sleep disturbances.
• Long-term Effects: The effects of bullying can extend into adulthood, impacting relationships, mental health, and overall quality of life.

Prevention and Intervention Strategies

Efforts to combat bullying should involve a combination of prevention and intervention strategies:

• Awareness Programs: Schools and communities can implement awareness programs that educate students about the consequences of bullying and promote empathy and kindness.
• Open Communication: Encourage open communication between students, parents, and educators, creating a safe space for reporting bullying incidents.
• Strict Anti-Bullying Policies: Schools should have clear anti-bullying policies with consequences for those who engage in bullying behavior.
• Support Systems: Provide support and counseling for both victims and bullies to address their emotional and psychological needs.
• Cyberbullying Prevention: Promote responsible internet usage and educate students about the dangers of cyberbullying.

Bullying is a complex and deeply rooted issue that affects countless individuals around the world. Students participating in essay writing competitions must understand the different forms of bullying, its causes, and the devastating consequences it can have on individuals and society as a whole. By fostering empathy, promoting open communication, and implementing effective prevention and intervention strategies, we can work towards a world where bullying is a thing of the past, and all individuals can thrive in a safe and respectful environment.

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Cyberbullying: Everything You Need to Know

• Cyberbullying
• How to Respond

Cyberbullying is the act of intentionally and consistently mistreating or harassing someone through the use of electronic devices or other forms of electronic communication (like social media platforms).

Because cyberbullying mainly affects children and adolescents, many brush it off as a part of growing up. However, cyberbullying can have dire mental and emotional consequences if left unaddressed.

This article discusses cyberbullying, its adverse effects, and what can be done about it.

FangXiaNuo / Getty Images

Cyberbullying Statistics and State Laws

The rise of digital communication methods has paved the way for a new type of bullying to form, one that takes place outside of the schoolyard. Cyberbullying follows kids home, making it much more difficult to ignore or cope.

Statistics 

As many as 15% of young people between 12 and 18 have been cyberbullied at some point. However, over 25% of children between 13 and 15 were cyberbullied in one year alone.

About 6.2% of people admitted that they’ve engaged in cyberbullying at some point in the last year. The age at which a person is most likely to cyberbully one of their peers is 13.

Those subject to online bullying are twice as likely to self-harm or attempt suicide . The percentage is much higher in young people who identify as LGBTQ, at 56%.

Cyberbullying by Sex and Sexual Orientation

Cyberbullying statistics differ among various groups, including:

• Girls and boys reported similar numbers when asked if they have been cyberbullied, at 23.7% and 21.9%, respectively.
• LGBTQ adolescents report cyberbullying at higher rates, at 31.7%. Up to 56% of young people who identify as LGBTQ have experienced cyberbullying.
• Transgender teens were the most likely to be cyberbullied, at a significantly high rate of 35.4%.

State Laws 

The laws surrounding cyberbullying vary from state to state. However, all 50 states have developed and implemented specific policies or laws to protect children from being cyberbullied in and out of the classroom.

The laws were put into place so that students who are being cyberbullied at school can have access to support systems, and those who are being cyberbullied at home have a way to report the incidents.

Legal policies or programs developed to help stop cyberbullying include:

• Bullying prevention programs
• Cyberbullying education courses for teachers
• Procedures designed to investigate instances of cyberbullying
• Support systems for children who have been subject to cyberbullying 

Are There Federal Laws Against Cyberbullying?

There are no federal laws or policies that protect people from cyberbullying. However, federal involvement may occur if the bullying overlaps with harassment. Federal law will get involved if the bullying concerns a person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, or religion.

Examples of Cyberbullying 

There are several types of bullying that can occur online, and they all look different.

Harassment can include comments, text messages, or threatening emails designed to make the cyberbullied person feel scared, embarrassed, or ashamed of themselves.

Other forms of harassment include:

• Using group chats as a way to gang up on one person
• Making derogatory comments about a person based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or other characteristics
• Posting mean or untrue things on social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, as a way to publicly hurt the person experiencing the cyberbullying  

Impersonation

A person may try to pretend to be the person they are cyberbullying to attempt to embarrass, shame, or hurt them publicly. Some examples of this include:

• Hacking into someone’s online profile and changing any part of it, whether it be a photo or their "About Me" portion, to something that is either harmful or inappropriate
• Catfishing, which is when a person creates a fake persona to trick someone into a relationship with them as a joke or for their own personal gain
• Making a fake profile using the screen name of their target to post inappropriate or rude remarks on other people’s pages

Other Examples

Not all forms of cyberbullying are the same, and cyberbullies use other tactics to ensure that their target feels as bad as possible. Some tactics include:

• Taking nude or otherwise degrading photos of a person without their consent
• Sharing or posting nude pictures with a wide audience to embarrass the person they are cyberbullying
• Sharing personal information about a person on a public website that could cause them to feel unsafe
• Physically bullying someone in school and getting someone else to record it so that it can be watched and passed around later
• Circulating rumors about a person

How to Know When a Joke Turns Into Cyberbullying

People may often try to downplay cyberbullying by saying it was just a joke. However, any incident that continues to make a person feel shame, hurt, or blatantly disrespected is not a joke and should be addressed. People who engage in cyberbullying tactics know that they’ve crossed these boundaries, from being playful to being harmful.

Effects and Consequences of Cyberbullying 

Research shows many negative effects of cyberbullying, some of which can lead to severe mental health issues. Cyberbullied people are twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts, actions, or behaviors and engage in self-harm as those who are not.

Other negative health consequences of cyberbullying are:

• Stomach pain and digestive issues
• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulties with academics
• Violent behaviors
• High levels of stress
• Inability to feel safe
• Feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness

If You’ve Been Cyberbullied 

Being on the receiving end of cyberbullying is hard to cope with. It can feel like you have nowhere to turn and no escape. However, some things can be done to help overcome cyberbullying experiences.

Advice for Preteens and Teenagers

The best thing you can do if you’re being cyberbullied is tell an adult you trust. It may be challenging to start the conversation because you may feel ashamed or embarrassed. However, if it is not addressed, it can get worse.

Other ways you can cope with cyberbullying include:

• Walk away : Walking away online involves ignoring the bullies, stepping back from your computer or phone, and finding something you enjoy doing to distract yourself from the bullying.
• Don’t retaliate : You may want to defend yourself at the time. But engaging with the bullies can make matters worse.
• Keep evidence : Save all copies of the cyberbullying, whether it be posts, texts, or emails, and keep them if the bullying escalates and you need to report them.
• Report : Social media sites take harassment seriously, and reporting them to site administrators may block the bully from using the site.
• Block : You can block your bully from contacting you on social media platforms and through text messages.

In some cases, therapy may be a good option to help cope with the aftermath of cyberbullying.

Advice for Parents

As a parent, watching your child experience cyberbullying can be difficult. To help in the right ways, you can:

• Offer support and comfort : Listening to your child explain what's happening can be helpful. If you've experienced bullying as a child, sharing that experience may provide some perspective on how it can be overcome and that the feelings don't last forever.
• Make sure they know they are not at fault : Whatever the bully uses to target your child can make them feel like something is wrong with them. Offer praise to your child for speaking up and reassure them that it's not their fault.
• Contact the school : Schools have policies to protect children from bullying, but to help, you have to inform school officials.
• Keep records : Ask your child for all the records of the bullying and keep a copy for yourself. This evidence will be helpful to have if the bullying escalates and further action needs to be taken.
• Try to get them help : In many cases, cyberbullying can lead to mental stress and sometimes mental health disorders. Getting your child a therapist gives them a safe place to work through their experience.

In the Workplace 

Although cyberbullying more often affects children and adolescents, it can also happen to adults in the workplace. If you are dealing with cyberbullying at your workplace, you can:

• Let your bully know how what they said affected you and that you expect it to stop.
• Keep copies of any harassment that goes on in the workplace.
• Report your cyberbully to your human resources (HR) department.
• Report your cyberbully to law enforcement if you are being threatened.
• Close off all personal communication pathways with your cyberbully.
• Maintain a professional attitude at work regardless of what is being said or done.
• Seek out support through friends, family, or professional help.

Effective Action Against Cyberbullying

If cyberbullying continues, actions will have to be taken to get it to stop, such as:

• Talking to a school official : Talking to someone at school may be difficult, but once you do, you may be grateful that you have some support. Schools have policies to address cyberbullying.
• Confide in parents or trusted friends : Discuss your experience with your parents or others you trust. Having support on your side will make you feel less alone.
• Report it on social media : Social media sites have strict rules on the types of interactions and content sharing allowed. Report your aggressor to the site to get them banned and eliminate their ability to contact you.
• Block the bully : Phones, computers, and social media platforms contain options to block correspondence from others. Use these blocking tools to help free yourself from cyberbullying.

Help Is Available

If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, dial  988  to contact the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  and connect with a trained counselor. To find mental health resources in your area, contact the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline  at  800-662-4357  for information.

Cyberbullying occurs over electronic communication methods like cell phones, computers, social media, and other online platforms. While anyone can be subject to cyberbullying, it is most likely to occur between the ages of 12 and 18.

Cyberbullying can be severe and lead to serious health issues, such as new or worsened mental health disorders, sleep issues, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm. There are laws to prevent cyberbullying, so it's essential to report it when it happens. Coping strategies include stepping away from electronics, blocking bullies, and getting.

Alhajji M, Bass S, Dai T. Cyberbullying, mental health, and violence in adolescents and associations with sex and race: data from the 2015 youth risk behavior survey . Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794X19868887. doi:10.1177/2333794X19868887

Cyberbullying Research Center. Cyberbullying in 2021 by age, gender, sexual orientation, and race .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Facts about bullying .

John A, Glendenning AC, Marchant A, et al. Self-harm, suicidal behaviours, and cyberbullying in children and young people: systematic review .  J Med Internet Res . 2018;20(4):e129. doi:10.2196/jmir.9044

Cyberbullying Research Center. Bullying, cyberbullying, and LGBTQ students .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Laws, policies, and regulations .

Wolke D, Lee K, Guy A. Cyberbullying: a storm in a teacup? . Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017;26(8):899-908. doi:10.1007/s00787-017-0954-6

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Cyberbullying tactics .

Garett R, Lord LR, Young SD. Associations between social media and cyberbullying: a review of the literature . mHealth . 2016;2:46-46. doi:10.21037/mhealth.2016.12.01

Nemours Teens Health. Cyberbullying .

Nixon CL. Current perspectives: the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent health . Adolesc Health Med Ther. 2014;5:143-58. doi:10.2147/AHMT.S36456

Nemours Kids Health. Cyberbullying (for parents) .

By Angelica Bottaro Bottaro has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism. She is based in Canada.

The effects of bullying

Bullying isn't good for anyone. It has a detrimental impact on students' health, wellbeing and learning, and effects the whole school community.

On this page:

Bullying effects everyone.

Bullying behaviour impacts the whole-school community. Bullying has detrimental effects on students' health, wellbeing and learning. It can make students feel lonely, unhappy and frightened. It’s not just the students being bullied who are affected. Most students say they don’t like seeing bullying in their school – it makes them feel worried and uncomfortable. Students who bully others are also more likely to have problems and be unhappy.

Being bullied can affect everything about a child: how they see themselves, their friends, school, and their future. Students who are bullied often experience depression, low self-esteem that may last a lifetime, shyness, loneliness, physical illnesses, and threatened or attempted self-harm. Some students miss school, see their marks drop or even leave school altogether because they have been bullied. Verbal and social/relational bullying can be just as harmful as physical bullying.

Students who engage in bullying also risk poor long term outcomes, including leaving school early. Some students engage in bullying for a short time only and then stop either because they realise it’s wrong or they are supported to learn more appropriate behaviour.  A small group of students continue to bully others over many years.  Parents, whānau and schools need to support those who bully others to learn more appropriate ways to get on with others and deal with conflict and social challenges.

Although most research in this area focuses on the impacts of bullying on initiators and targets, bullying may also have a negative impact on bystanders, those who witness bullying. Even if a child isn’t being bullied, they can be affected by it.  No one can do well when they feel unsafe.

Addressing bullying effectively has benefits for the future of everyone.

• Wellbeing at school: building a safe and caring school climate that deters bullying (external link)
• OCC’s Responsive Schools report (external link)  has more on the long term effects of bullying

Myths about bullying

Sometimes people say some of these things about bullying.  They mean well, but they’re wrong.

“You need to learn to stand up to the bullies.”

Children who tell you about bullying usually are very upset because they can no longer deal with the situation. If they could have dealt with the bullying, they would have. Asking for support is not a weakness, it’s a good decision.

“You should stand up for yourself and hit back when you are bullied.”

Hitting back usually makes the bullying worse and increases the risk of serious harm. The person doing the bullying is often bigger, so the target could get seriously hurt by hitting back. Fighting with the other child can escalate the situation, and your child may be reprimanded for their part in a fight.

“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you.”

The scars left by name-calling can last forever.

“Bullying is just a stage that kids go through at school.  We all went through it and we’re fine.”

Bullying is not normal or acceptable behaviour. It can have long-lasting negative effects on everyone involved.

“The best way to deal with a student who bullies others is using punishment.”

Students who bully others usually have problems themselves and are generally unhappy in their own lives. These students always need to face the consequences for their actions, but also need support to change their behaviours and to find better ways of getting what they want to feel good about themselves.

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Bullying — Bullying In Schools: Causes, Effects, And Solutions

Bullying in Schools: Causes, Effects, and Solutions

• Categories: Bullying Youth Violence

About this sample

Words: 1534 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 1534 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Works Cited

• Bradshaw, C. P., Sawyer, A. L., & O'Brennan, L. M. (2007). Bullying and peer victimization at school: Perceptual differences between students and school staff. School Psychology Review, 36(3), 361-382.
• Espelage, D. L., & Swearer, S. M. (2003). Research on school bullying and victimization: What have we learned and where do we go from here?. School Psychology Review, 32(3), 365-383.
• Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2018). Cyberbullying fact sheet: Identification, prevention, and response. Cyberbullying Research Center.
• National Bullying Prevention Center. (2021). Resources. https://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/
• National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Student reports of bullying and cyberbullying: Results from the 2020–21 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. US Department of Education.
• Olweus, D. (2013). School bullying: Development and some important challenges. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 9, 751-780.
• Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2020). School climate 2.0: Preventing cyberbullying and sexting one classroom at a time. Corwin Press.
• StopBullying.gov. (2021). Prevent bullying. https://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/index.html
• Thompson, F., Smith, P. K., & Rigby, K. (2022). Addressing bullying in schools: Theory and practice. Routledge.
• Ttofi, M. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2011). Effectiveness of school-based programs to reduce bullying: A systematic and meta-analytic review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 7(1), 27-56.

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A Study on Sleep Quality Under the Shadow of School Bullying: The Interwoven Effects of Depressive Emotions, Low Self-Esteem, and Negative Parenting Practices

32 Pages Posted: 6 Sep 2024

Wannan Medical College

Tong Jia-ni

Xiong jia-jie, pan zhi-yin, zhao jia-jing, chang wei-wei, fang zheng-mei, wen li-ying, yao ying-shui, yue-long jin.

Objective: This study aims to explore the mechanisms through which school bullying impacts the sleep quality of adolescents. It proposes a theoretical model where depressive emotions, low self-esteem, and negative parenting practices serve as mediating variables, providing new directions and measures for preventing and treating school bullying and sleep disorders.Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 4,483 middle school students selected anonymously from Anhui Province, China. The OL-WEUS Bullying Questionnaire was used to measure bullying behavior, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was utilized to assess sleep disorders. The Depression-Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was employed to measure depressive emotions, while the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was used to gauge self-esteem levels. The short form of the Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (s-EMBU) was adopted to assess negative parenting practices. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0, and the mediation effect of depressive emotions, low self-esteem, and negative parenting practices on the relationship between school bullying and sleep disorders was tested using the Process macro (Model 6). Results: This study investigated the relationships between school bullying, depressive emotions, low self-esteem, negative parenting practices, and sleep disorders in adolescents. The results indicate that being bullied at school, experiencing depressive emotions, having low self-esteem, and being subjected to negative parenting practices are strong predictors of sleep disorders. Additionally, the findings generally support the hypothesis that school bullying impacts sleep disorders through the mediating effects of depressive emotions, low self-esteem, and negative parenting practices. These findings reveal potential mechanisms that can explain the association between school bullying and sleep disorders, and they have implications for intervention strategies for sleep disorders.Conclusion: School bullying can directly increase the risk of sleep disorders, and depressive emotions, low self-esteem, and negative parenting practices have independent and persistent mediating effects on the relationship between school bullying and sleep disorders. This study innovatively integrates the impact of school bullying on adolescent sleep disorders. The pathways through which school bullying affects sleep disorders provide new directions for relevant government departments and educational institutions to develop mental health measures, offer mental health education and counseling services, and help adolescents establish healthy emotion regulation mechanisms.

Note: Funding Information: This work was supported by Anhui Provincial Key Project of Philosophy and Social Science,[No. 2022AH051208]; Science and Technology Project of Wuhu City, Anhui Province,[No. 2023yf103]; Wannan Medical College Young and Middle-aged Research Foundation [No. WK202112]. Conflict of Interests: This study was conducted in the absence of any business or financial relationship that could be interpreted as a potential conflict of interest. There is no conflict of interest between the authors. Ethical Approval: After deliberation by the Ethics Committee of the School of Public Health of Wannan Medical College, the experimental design and implementation plan of the study fully considered the principle of safety and informed consent, informed middle school students of the purpose, significance and use of the study, and protected the privacy of personal data and disease information. The ethical issues involved in the implementation of the project and the treatment methods are in line with the regulations of relevant institutions at home and abroad, and we agree to carry out the experimental work of the research content of the subject. (Ethics Review Number: LL-WK202112).

Keywords: Keywords: Adolescents, Sleep Disorders, School Bullying, Depressive Emotions, Self-esteem, Parenting Practices, Mediating Effects

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

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