The True Gravity of the Effects of Bullying

The epidemic of bullying in the United States and around the world has reached a crisis point. As scientists and sociologists begin to study the effects of bullying more closely it has become clear that the consequences are much more serious and long lasting than previously realized. Bullying has been linked to severe and persistent problems with physical and emotional health, issues with academic and professional performance, enduring complications with social interaction, and concerns related to substance abuse. Bullying is clearly not a minor issue that can be resolved amongst children, but a dire public health threat that needs immediate action from all levels to be effectively curbed. As the severe effects of bullying become increasingly apparent it becomes obvious that drastic action needs to be taken to increase the reporting of bullying and ensure that it is not tolerated at any level of academic administration.

The effects of bullying on physical and mental health are quite serious and can have devastating consequences for children exposed to such abuse. According to the anti-bullying website run by the US Department of Health and Human Services, kids who are bullied are more likely to suffer from “Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy,” as well as physical “health complaints” and “decreased academic achievement” (“Effects of Bullying,” n.d.). These severe physical and emotional effects can seriously hinder the growth and development of children and negatively lead to a wide variety of outcomes. Children who are suffering from such issues will have difficulty properly engaging with classes and peers, which can have longstanding effects that persist long after the initial bullying has ceased. In fact, bullying has been linked to myriad issues with academic and career outcomes that illustrate the potentially devastating and even permanent effects of the problem.

Bullying has been linked to issues not only with the academic performance of children, but even with their career options later in life. Children subjected to bullying often as adults find themselves in situations with limited professional options, a trend that illustrates gravely serious the long-term effects of bullying and emphasizes the degree to which unchecked bullying can derail the entire goal of academic pursuits. According to Alexandra Sifferlin “Bullying can have harmful effects on childhood development, and the latest research reveals those detrimental influences may even stretch into adulthood,” and “scientists found that people who were bullied were two times less likely to hold down a job” (2013). Clearly the effects of bullying on children are so severe that they persist into adulthood and manifest themselves in way that prove to be a massive impediment to a productive and prosperous life. The fact that bullying actually negatively impacts people’s ability to earn a living and become successful members of society well into adulthood truly illuminates the massive scope and gravity of the problem. In addition, not only is bullying linked to poor economic outcomes for victims, even into adulthood, but poor social outcomes as well.

Victims of bullying often find themselves socially hindered for life as a result of their traumatic experiences as children. One of the most essential foundations for a healthy outlook and balanced perspective are positive social relationships, which often seem to permanently elude victims of bullying. As Sifferlin says, victims of bullying often, even as adults, have “difficulty maintaining meaningful social relationships compared to those who did not experience bullying. The bullied participants also reported having a hard time keeping long term friendships and staying in touch with their parents” (2013). These severe negative social outcomes related to the prominence of bullying also indicate the severity of bullying and the solemnity of the situation. The fact that victims of bullying are often socially maladjusted and have great difficulty forming meaningful social relationships with friends and family well into adulthood is powerful evidence of the need to treat bullying as a menace to public health. Unfortunately, bullying is also linked to even further issues with grave and lasting consequences.

Bullying has also been linked to increased rates of substance abuse amongst the victimized, which can lead to a wide variety of devastating and permanent consequences. The results of substance abuse can completely derail lives or even lead to death, and therefore the link between bullying and substance abuse needs to be carefully examined in an effort to prevent needless destruction of young lives. According to Tharp-Taylor, Haviland, and D’Amico, when examining the effects of bullying on trends of abuse of various substances “Results supported an association between victimization from bullying and substance use. Youths who experienced each type of bullying (mental or physical) separately or in combination were more likely to report use of each substance” (2009). The fact that bullying was shown to have such a strong correlation with substance abuse points not only to the depths of emotional pain experienced by victims, but to the potentially devastating consequence of ignoring the problem and leaving victimized children to their own devices. Clearly much greater adult supervision is needed both to combat the problem and ensure that victims make healthy and positive choices and do not descend into self-destructive behavior.

As the effects of bullying become more widely known the need for widespread vigilance against bullying, stricter penalties for perpetrators, and more resources for victims becomes increasingly clear. Bullying has been linked to severe problems with physical and emotional development, problems in school and the job market, difficulty fostering healthy social relationships, and increased rates of substance abuse. These problems make it clear that bullying is a serious threat to the health of our nation’s children, and that teachers, parents, and administrators need to ensure that they do everything in their power to combat this epidemic. The future success and happiness of an entire generation of children may depend on the response to bullying as the full scope of its horrendous effects are brought into focus for the first time.

References

Effects of Bullying. (n.d.).stopbullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/

Sifferlin, A. (2013, August 19). Childhood Bullying’s Lasting Impact on Employment | TIME.com. Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/19/childhood-bullyings-lasting-impact-on-employment/

Tharp-Taylor, S., Haviland, A., & D'Amico, E. J. (2009). Victimization From Mental And Physical Bullying And Substance Use In Early Adolescence.Addictive Behaviors, 34(6-7), 561-567. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.03