The Effects of Bullying

The Effects of Bullying

Bullying occurs when someone hurts or scares another person for no reason and the victim of the bullying has a hard time defending themselves. All too often an adult’s response to bullying is “it’s just a fact of life” or “it’s no big deal, you’re not alone”. Unfortunately, bullying is a serious issue among today’s youth and needs to be addressed, not pushed to the side.

Studies show that between 15-25% of U.S. students are bullied frequently. In addition, 15-20% also reported that they bully others frequently. Those that are bullied suffer severe complications. Youth that are bullied frequently can become so scared that they will skip school to avoid the torment. In fact, as many as 160,000 students may stay home on any given day because they are afraid of being a victim of bullying at school.

Furthermore, youth that engage in bullying suffer other problems later on in life. Bullies are more likely to skip school and drop out, smoke, drink alcohol, get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school. 60% of male youth who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24. This statistic clearly illustrates that bullying is not “just a fact of life” but actually is a habit that an individual can pick up and carry with them for life. These bullying behaviors can stick with an individual and impair their ability to develop and maintain positive relationships not only in the adolescence but in their adulthood as well.

Bullies tend to target youth that are anxious, insecure, and cautious and often suffer fro low self-esteem. They rarely are able to defend themselves or retaliate to those that bully them. Victims of bullies are generally lacking in social skills and socially isolated. One study found that the most frequent reason for bullying an individual is that they “don’t fit in”. When an individual is bullied then tend to become tense, anxious and naturally afraid. In some cases this can lead to a lack of concentration in school and even avoidance of school all together.
The most serious implication that bullying has on an individual is self-esteem. Victims of bullying tend to lose self-esteem and as a result self-worth. This can cause serious problems not only in adolescence but also in adulthood. Social isolation is also a common result of bullying. Social isolation can also bring depression and withdrawal, anxiety and insecurity. In some extreme cases the victim of bullying can suffer long- term consequences. For example, researchers have found that even years after the bullying had ceased; adults who were bullied as youth have higher levels of depression and reduced levels of self-esteem than other adults.

For more information on bullying visit:
http://www.safeyouth.org
http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov