Short and Long Term Effects of Bullying

https://www.psycom.net/effects-of-bullying

Bullying has obvious short term effects but unfortunately, victims often carry with them scars and wretched memories for many years to come.

Bullying is still very much a serious issue in today's American society amongst youth. From the attached article, "According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bullying affects 20% of high school students and cyberbullying affects 16% of high school students". "Middle schools reported the highest rate of bullying (25%), at least once a week."

These statistics are glaring, but look past the numbers and realize that bullying effects both the victims and the bullies for years throughout their individual lives. The important thing is that victims seek help immediately and not allow bullying to go on for an extended period of time. 

To start, bullying is associated with lower grades in school. According to the attached article, "Students who were rated as the most bullied performed significantly worse academically than their peers".

Here is a list of the identified short term effects of bullying on the victims...

Short Term Effects of the Bullied Victim (Short and Long Term Effects of Bullying - psycom.net)


Social isolation
Feelings of shame
Sleep disturbance
Changes in eating habits
Low self-esteem
School avoidance
Symptoms of anxiety
Bedwetting
Higher risk of illness
Psychosomatic symptoms (stomachaches, headaches, muscle aches, other physical complaints with no known medical cause)
Poor school performance
Symptoms of depression
The appropriate help and measures can work to prevent long term effects on bullying victims.

Next, here is a list of the long term effects of bullying on victims...

Long Term Effects of the Bullied Victim (Short and Long Term Effects of Bullying - psycom.net)

Chronic depression
Increased risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide plans, and suicide attempts
Anxiety disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Poor general health
Self-destructive behavior, including self-harm
Substance abuse
Difficulty establishing trusting, reciprocal friendships and relationships
There are some pretty major issues in this list including depression, suicide, substance abuse and self destructive behavior. 

As you can see, bullying, whether traditional or cyber, can have short and long term effects. It is imperative that the necessary actions are taken to prevent bullying or respond to it should it occur. it takes an entire community, no one can walk alone, and no one should ever have to be alone. Check on your friends and family, educate yourself and confront bullying wherever you may see it, on the street corner or on you phone.

https://www.psycom.net/effects-of-bullying




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