There are many signs that a child is being bullied. Some signs to look for:
- The child comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books or other belongings.
- The child has unexplained bruises, cuts or scratches.
- The child seems afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus or taking part in organized activities with peers.
- The child appears sad, moody, teary or depressed when he or she comes home.
- The child frequently appears anxious and/or suffers from low self-esteem.
Source: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Not only can bullying hurt someone’s feelings, it can have other more serious effects. Some problems can even last until you are an adult! Bullying can play a role in:
- Sadness, hurt feelings, loneliness, and depression
- Poor body image, low self-esteem, and even eating disorders, especially when teased about weight
- Skipping school, bad grades, and being afraid to go to school
- Headaches, stomach aches, and anxiety
- Trouble sleeping
- Thoughts and acts of suicide, in very bad cases
Bullying others or being bullied can hurt someone both physically and emotionally — and have effects even after you become an adult!
If you are being bullied by someone, it’s ok to ask for help if you are experiencing any of the effects listed above. Teachers, parents, a doctor or nurse, and other trusted adults should be able to help you.
Source: Office on Women’s Health.
The effects of bullying extend beyond the school years. Bullying may lead to criminal behavior for those who bully and future health and mental health problems for both the bully and the victims:
- Six out of 10 kids identified as bullies in middle school are convicted of a crime by the time they reach age 24.ref
- Years after experiencing bullying, adults who were bullied as teens have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults.ref
- Children exposed to violence either at home or at school often suffer long-term problems such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, anger, and self-destructive behaviors.ref
Yet, despite its prevalence, bullying often is overlooked or downplayed as a problem among parents and educators. Many bullying activities take place out of the view of adults. But even those activities that occur within plain sight are frequently ignored:
- As many as one-fourth of elementary and middle school teachers don’t understand the seriousness of bullying or putdowns and, therefore, intervene in only 4 percent of bullying incidents.ref
- More than two-thirds of middle school students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying.ref
Most school bullying doesn’t lead to headline-grabbing incidents of students brandishing guns in mass attacks against their perceived enemies. The consequences of bullying are often less obvious, yet nonetheless damaging and lasting. Left unchecked, bullying creates an atmosphere of intimidation and fear that can send a message to students that aggressive and violent behavior is accepted.
Source: SAMHSA, an Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
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