Bullying and Its Effects on Mental Health
Bullies, victims, and bystanders are all susceptible to severe mental issues. The act of bullying is detrimental to the development of the character of the three parties. It has long-lasting impacts on personal and social life of the affected, perpetrators, and onlookers.
The victims often face various mental health problems. Rigby reports that among a sample of 703 bullied children, 32% had recurring memories of the bullying incident and 29% had difficult in concentrating after the episode (587). According to Moore, the victims are characterized by low self-esteem, personal insecurities, and consistent fear of authority (27). Major health issues such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders have also been commonly found in the affected students (deLara 2380). Besides, the victims develop problems in communication skills due to high levels of stress from bullying. Further, Rigby observes that bullying could also lead to suicide; many victims have been reported to have suicidal thoughts due to the mental trauma (587). Additionally, bullying impacts the social life of a victim. The ability to trust is a vital concern shared among the majority of the bullied. Therefore, given that they are unlikely to trust other people, the victims struggle in both friendship and marital relationships. As evident, those tormented experience challenges in developing the right personal characters and creating strong relationships with other people in their surroundings.
Similarly, bullies experience the adverse impacts of their behavior, too. Their strong desire to dominate makes them aggressive and insensitive. The reason behind their attitude can often be related to their home environment. Troubled marriage of parents or power assertive parental techniques can be the cause of bullying behavior (Moore 33). Bullying is a way for perpetrators to overshadow insecurity and anxiety. They feel guilty and remain ashamed of their actions for the rest of their lives. Like the victims, Rigby observes that bullies also have a higher risk of suicidal ideation and depression (587). Furthermore, their social life is affected in the long run because as time goes on, only few people support bullies and others may find the perpetrators’ attitude immature and refrain from befriending the bullies. Hence, bullies encounter same mental problems as the victims.
While bystanders are not directly involved in the act of bullying, they are negatively affected by the incidents, as well. According to Moore, they feel helpless, anxious, guilty of not helping the victim, and fearsome of being the next target (32). This constant pressure sometimes causes depression, and the guilt may induce suicidal thoughts. In addition, the onlookers feel under-confident and lose self-respect for themselves, which impacts their social life. Hence, the feeling of helplessness makes the bystanders vulnerable to the personal and social issues that bullying has on the victims and perpetrators.
Bullying has negative impacts on the mental health of the bullies, victims, and onlookers. Common effects include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, trust issues, and aggressiveness. Given its harmful effects on all parties involved, bullying should be prevented or prohibited by raising awareness at school, the workplace, and all other possible forums. Through such efforts, everyone would be able to refrain from tormenting others or intervene whenever necessary to prevent the act.
Works Cited
deLara, Ellen W. “Consequences of Childhood Bullying on Mental Health and Relationships for Young Adults.” Journal of Child and Family Studies, vol. 18, no. 9, 2019, pp.2379-2389.
Moore, Jacqueline. Peer Abuse or “Bullying” and Its Impact on Adolescents, Especially in Relation to Depression. Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs), 2002.
Rigby, Ken. “Consequences of Bullying in Schools.” The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry – In Review, vol. 48, no. 9, 2003, pp.583-590.
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