How can bullying affect students?

Bullying is aggressive behavior between school-aged kids and involves a power imbalance and the potential for the behavior to be repeated or is repeated. Bullying usually isn’t a “one-off” incident, and so the effects of bullying can be intense and even long-lasting. The child being bullied isn’t the only person who is affected by the experience, however. Children who witness bullying and the perpetrator can have adverse effects from it.

Bullying is considered an ACE or adverse childhood experience linked with mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress. Children who are bullied are more likely to struggle with depression, anxiety, changes in sleep and appetite, loss of interest in once enjoyed activities, health complaints with no underlying physical cause, and decreased academic performance. They are also more likely to drop out of school early, miss school, or skip classes. Any experience in which a person feels that their life or health is in danger can result in a traumatic response.

Bystanders are those who witness bullying. At the same time, they may not be direct targets or perpetrators, evidence that witnesses to bullying can experience negative consequences. Exposure or witnessing bullying may increase the likelihood of using substances, developing depression or anxiety or both, and missing or skipping school.

Children who perpetrate acts of bullying are also impacted by bullying. The effects can be serious and long-lasting. Kids who perpetrate bullying may be more likely to get into fights, damage property, engage in early sexual activity, abuse substances, be abusive toward romantic partners, or drop out of school. Bullies are also more likely to experience criminal conviction and traffic citation as adults and to perpetrate acts of abuse with spouses, partners, or their own children as adults.

The reports and popular media programming that links bullying and suicide are not quite accurate. Being a victim of bullying does increase the risk of suicide. Still, too many factors are often in place to isolate bullying as the sole potential cause of suicidal thoughts, behaviors, or suicide itself. Homelife, existing mental health conditions, a history of trauma aside from bullying, and other factors may play in suicide risk.

If you are experiencing hopelessness, helplessness, or experiencing thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or visit your nearest emergency room. If you’ve experienced bullying, talk with a trusted adult. If you’re an adult survivor of bullying, talk with a therapist about the issues you feel are related to past bullying.