Many of us have been either directly impacted by bullying or know someone who has been a victim of bullying. It may not be an overstatement that bullying is one of the most serious social issues in our society. The internet has only made the things worse. It is important to realize bullying often impacts victims in more than one way and some of the effects continue to persist in the long term.
One of the major effects of bullying is lower quality of school life for the victims. The victims of bullying feel isolated and alienated in a school environment. They also have few friends and the bullying may even hurt their existing friendships. It is not uncommon for the victims of bullying to be social withdrawn and have low levels of self-esteem. The negative effects of bullying are not limited to the quality of social life in school but also include academics. The victims of bullying may perform poorly in class and have low attendance rate . It is clear bullying victims struggle personally, socially, academically, and professionally.
The bullying may also impose a variety of health costs on the victims. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the potential health costs of the bullying include substance abuse, violent behaviors later in life, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Dr. Marlene Seltzer claims the mental and physical health consequences of bullying may last for years well into adulthood. She added the victims of bullying may also suffer from PTSDs, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, and obesity. The health effects of the bullying are not limited to the victims only but may also impose huge costs on the society. The victims of bullying have been guilty of mass shootings and other extreme tragedies in the U.S . Thus, it is important to tackle bullying because the health consequences of the bullying may last for years and even decades.
The bullying victims may not only have less productive academic careers but may also struggle in their personal and professional lives later. The victims of bullying may struggle to form lasting relationships due to factors such as trust issues and potential mental health issues as a result of bullying episodes in the past. The victims of bullying may also struggle to form close friendships as adults or productive working relationships at the workplaces . Bullying doesn’t only hurt one’s ability to realize his academic potential but also career potential as well as personal relationships.
The bullying doesn’t only affect those who are victims but also others not directly affected by it. The bystanders may feel distress as a result of not knowing how to address bullying. They may also feel guilty for not doing anything. The bullying episodes do not only make schools less safe for the victims but also others who may not be directly impacted by it but do witness it on a regular basis . Bullying affects not only the victims but also the bystanders who do not like what they witness and often struggle to formulate their response to what they see.
Bullying is one of the major social issues faced by the society. The bullying affects victims in a wide range of manner. The victims of bullying struggle in school such as feeling isolated and performing poorly in academics. The bullying may also impose health costs on the victims such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. The victims of bullying may also struggle to form long-lasting productive relationships as adults. Similarly, they may not get along well with their work colleagues that could hurt their professional careers. The bullying doesn’t only affect those who are directly affected by it but may also hurt the bystanders due to feelings of distress and guilt.
- Dimmer, Olivia. Effects of bullying are still felt in college, students say. 21 October 2016. 28 March 2017
- Safe and Supportive School Communities Working Group. Impact of bullying. 28 March 2017
- Victoria State Government. The Impact of Bullying. 28 March 2017
- Wolke, Dieter and Suzet Tanya Lereya. Long-term effects of bullying. September 2015. 28 March 2017
