The Effects Of Bullying

Children who are bullied are at a greater risk of experiencing poor outcomes for up to four decades after exposure to bullying. Bullying can be physical, verbal and online. While offline bullying generally takes place at school, cyberbullying can be much more widespread and difficult to avoid. It can happen anywhere, anytime and has the potential for a much wider reach than offline bullying.

Cyberbullying cases may involve images, memes, or videos in addition to messages via social media platforms, instant messaging platforms, email and text messages. Although bullying is a complex issue, research suggests there is clear evidence that it is linked to poor mental health outcomes also. This includes an increased risk of developing depression and anxiety, and overall poorer psychological and emotional functioning.

The experience of bullying appears to heighten these risks independently of other biological and environmental factors. The negative effects of bullying have been shown to be long-lasting, with research revealing that children who are bullied are at risk of experiencing poor social, health, and economic outcomes for up to nearly four decades after the exposure to bullying.