School Bullying Leads to Long Term Emotional Damage and Suicide - Anti-Schooling Series Part 6
Though not every child is bullied, studies seem to show that around 10% of kids are (though this article states 1 in 3 are). The effects of bullying last into adulthood and may include suicide.
Bullying at school can lead to long term emotional damage including ( The Long Term Effects Of Bullying):
Reduced occupational opportunities
Lingering feelings of anger and bitterness, desire for revenge.
Difficulty trusting people
Interpersonal difficulties, including fear and avoidance of new social situations
Increased tendency to be a loner
Perception of self as easy to victimize, overly sensitive, and thin-skinned
Self-esteem problems (don't think well of self)
Increased incidence of continued bullying and victimization
Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey found:
About 1 in 10 schoolchildren report being bullied weekly at school
Adolescents who are bullied or who are bullies have an increased risk of depression and suicidal ideation
Bullies are often as depressed as those who are bullied, and suicidal ideation is even more common among bullies
A New York State study found(Bullying, Depression, and Suicidality in Adolescents):
Approximately 9% of the sample reported being victimized frequently, and 13% reported bullying others frequently. Frequent exposure to victimization or bullying others was related to high risks of depression, ideation, and suicide attempts compared with adolescents not involved in bullying behavior. Infrequent involvement in bullying behavior also was related to increased risk of depression and suicidality, particularly among girls.
An Irish study found (The relationship between bullying, depression and suicidal thoughts/behaviour in Irish adolescents):
Being a victim of bullying was found to be significantly associated with depression and suicidal ideation . Results also indicated that victims were more likely to have reported a suicide attempt. Finally, those bullied were significantly more likely to have been referred to psychiatric services
A UK study also found the rate of bullying to be around 10% (Bullying in schools: self reported anxiety, depression, and self esteem in secondary school children).
From Cyber Bullying Illegal :
Yale professor Young-Shin Kim has done research on what's been termed "bullycide" and has found that victims of bullying are 5.6 times more at risk of attempting or thinking about suicide.
A couple of Young-Shin Kim's research studies which show the increased risk of suicide for bullied kids are: Bullying and suicide. A review and School Bullying and Suicidal Risk in Korean Middle School Students.
The effects of bullying last into adulthood. From the article The Pain of Bullying Lasts into Adulthood :
Kids don't easily outgrow the pain of bullying, according to a new study that finds that people bullied as kids are less mentally healthy as adults.
The study is one of the first to establish long-term effects of childhood bullying, which is still often considered a typical part of growing up.
"To my surprise at least, there were some very strong long-term effects on their risk for depression, anxiety, suicidality, a whole host of outcomes that we know just wreak havoc on adult lives," said study researcher William Copeland, a clinical psychologist at Duke University Medical Center.
Another study discussed in the article How Being Bullied Affects Your Adulthood states:
Years after being mistreated, people with adult post-bullying syndrome commonly struggle with trust and self-esteem, and develop psychiatric problems, deLara’s research found. Some become people-pleasers, or rely on food, alcohol, or drugs to cope.
In some respects, APBS is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, in which people who have had terrifying experiences develop an impaired fight-or-flight response. Both APBS and PTSD can lead to lasting anger or anxiety, substance abuse, battered self-esteem, and relationship problems.
References and Links
The Long Term Effects Of Bullying
Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey
Bullying, Depression, and Suicidality in Adolescents
The relationship between bullying, depression and suicidal thoughts/behaviour in Irish adolescents
Correlation between bullying and clinical depression in adolescent patients
Bullying in schools: self reported anxiety, depression, and self esteem in secondary school children
Cyber Bullying Illegal
Bullying and Suicide
Bullying and suicide. A review
School Bullying and Suicidal Risk in Korean Middle School Students
List of suicides that have been attributed to bullying
The Pain of Bullying Lasts into Adulthood
How Being Bullied Affects Your Adulthood