Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health and suicide. Bullying will bring permanent trauma to both the bully and the victim.

What is bullying?

Bullying is repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another physically, mentally, or emotionally. It includes name-calling, hitting, spreading rumors, or threatening. It can happen at school, at home, or online. Both kids who are bullied and bullies themselves may face serious, lasting problems.

How bullying affects mental health

Bullying can affect mental, physical, and emotional health during school years and into adulthood. It can lead to physical injury, social or emotional problems, and in some cases, even death.

Previous studies have found a connection between bullying and a higher risk of mental health problems during childhood or even adulthood.

Bullied children and teens are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and sometimes long-term damage to self-esteem.

The symptoms of being bullied are stomach aches, changes in appetite, bedwetting, dizziness, irritability, depression, anxiety, sadness, frequent nightmares, tiredness in the morning, loneliness, helplessness, and feeling isolated.

Bullies

Teens who come from abusive homes are more likely to bully than others because, at home, they often get bullied by their parents or siblings, so they feel a sense of powerlessness. In order to regain the feeling of power, they start to bully others.

Bullies often have problems with school, including dropping out and poor school performance, because they tend to worry about being caught by teachers, parents, betrayed by friends, or even lose popularity.

Bullies can be easily frustrated, are unable to accept responsibility for their actions, worry too much about their popularity, and have the desire for power or dominance.

Victims

Victims usually have low self-esteem, poor school performance, depression, and an increased risk of suicide. They often feel anxious, dreading going to school, or even getting online because of the random attacks from someone they know at school.

Victims usually have social difficulties, both in childhood and adulthood, and are also afraid of dealing with people because they are afraid to get bullied again.

Victims are often afraid to tell their parents or teachers about their situation, or no one at school is willing to come forward to help them, which makes them think that there are no friends or family to rely on. Therefore, as a parent, teacher, or friend, try and ask about their situation, understand it, and listen to their troubles.

Bullying is not acceptable

No matter how different people are, or just because of popularity, or maybe just to regain the feeling of power, there is no excuse for people bullying others. Even though some people are different, it is really important to treat everyone with respect, because no one deserves to be bullied.