Bullying and its Effects
Bullying affects everyone– from the person being bullied, to the person doing the crime and to those who silently witness such tactics. This activity is associated with a number of negative outcomes. It has a marked impact on substance abuse, suicide and mental health. And that is why it is extremely important to ask children whether they are being bullied.
Victims of bullying
Children who suffer from bullying experience negative mental and physical issues. A kid subjected to this kind of torture has a greater chance of suffering from:
a) Anxiety and depression: There could be excessive feelings of loneliness and
sadness. Changes in eating patterns and sleep cycles should be observed in
such cases. There could also be a loss of interest when it comes to activities they previously enjoyed. Such issues could spillover into adulthood and that could get dangerous.
b) Bad health: Poor mental health directly impacts that physical health as well
c) Lower academic accomplishments: this is evident in lower standardized test
scores and GPA. Participation in school activities could also falter.
Only a few children who have been bullied have the capability to retaliate via violent measures. In most of the shooting cases which have occurred in schools, it is the child that has been bullied the most who has been the perpetrator. Over 80 percent of the shooters suffered from bullying.
Bullying and Suicide
There is a misconception that children who suffer from bullying tend to commit suicide. This is wrong. Most of the bullied children do not harbor thoughts of suicide and desist from suicidal behaviors. Even if a child ends his or her life, bullying is usually not the sole reason. A number of issues have contributed to suicide risk. This includes depression, trauma history and problems at home. People of some cultures also have increased tendency to commit suicide. Support of peers and parents are intensely needed to stop such situation from getting out of hand.
Kids who Bully
Bullies are often the ones that engage in a number of risky behaviors, including violent activities. These disturbing traits can persist even when they grow up into adults. Bullies use a number of drugs and also indulge in alcohol both in adolescence and also as adults. They frequently engage in fights and vandalize property. They also leave the school education system and never get to complete higher education. Bullies are often found to have criminal convictions as adults which makes it even worse. They are also more often than not found to be abusive towards spouses or romantic partners and also tend to abuse their child, hence starting the cycle all over again.
By: Tracy Lee Thomas
Master Instructor
Changing Lives Martial Arts
Virginia Beach and Chesapeake
www.CLMAva.com