How can bullying affect mental health?

Bullying can have a profound effect on both physical and mental health. Some effects may be experienced quickly, and others can occur much later and long term. Bullying causes an increased risk for mental health problems. Self-esteem can suffer serious damage due to bullying. Those that experience bullying are at an increased risk for:

• Troubles in school or poor academic performance
• Sleep difficulties like insomnia or trouble staying asleep
• Anxiety and nervousness
• Depression
• Low self-esteem
• Feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Acute stress or trauma response
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Those who perpetrate bullying are at higher risk for:

• Anti-social behaviors
• Violent behaviors
• Difficulties with school and poor academic performance
• Substance abuse
• Later abuse of their partners or children
• Criminal behavior

Bullying can take many forms, including:

• Verbal teasing, insults, and threats
• Social behaviors like ignoring someone or leaving someone out on purpose
• Physical behaviors like violence, stealing, or breaking someone else’s things
• Cyberbullying involves sending messages, posting private information publicly, or sharing harmful information

Many people experience bullying. Current data shows that one in five students between ages 12 and 18 reports being bullied. Incidents are shown to happen about once a week in 14% of public schools. Bullying is reported most often in middle schools, with the second-highest reporting environment being high schools. Cyberbullying, which occurs online using devices and platforms like social media and chat forums, occurs for nearly two out of three American teens.

The frequency that bullying occurs and the seriousness of the potential consequences make addressing bullying an important task. Suppose you’re an adult who experienced bullying and struggles with self-esteem, depression, anxiety, or any of the symptoms above; speaking with a counselor can be helpful. In counseling, you can process your experiences, understand the ways these events may have affected your thinking, feeling, and other experiences. You can also learn healthy coping skills for anxiety and other issues resulting from bullying. If your child is experiencing bullying, check out this helpful list of resources. Visiting with a mental health professional to get help in supporting your child through this experience or connecting your child with a therapist can help heal from bullying.