What comes to mind when you think of bullying? Some people may imagine one
child picking on another at school on the playground. Others may think of
it as a childhood issue that kids grow out of with age. The truth is,
bullying behavior can last well into adulthood and can affect a person’s
long-term mental health.
Risks associated with bullying, including suicide
Among children and adolescents, those who are bullied are at greater risk
for academic problems, substance use disorders, and violence later in life.
And according to research by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, anyone involved in bullying — whether they are bullied or bully others —
is at an increased risk for depression.
The U.S.
Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) also found that even young people who merely observe bullying behavior report significantly
more feelings of helplessness, and less sense of connectedness and support
than those who have not witnessed bullying behavior.
Bullying can progress from a distressful experience to a real danger. We
have all heard the horror stories of adolescents and teens being driven to
suicide after being shamed or ostracized by peers. Bullying victims are
up to 9 times more likely to consider suicide
than non-victims.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We can create environments free from
bullying to prevent these tragedies and promote the long-term health and
well-being of our communities.
What is bullying?
There is a distinction between bullying and occasional teasing among peers.
According to
stopbullying.gov,
bullying is unwanted, repeated aggressive behavior that involves a real
or perceived power imbalance. Bullying can be verbal, social, or physical, and people who bully
typically use physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or
influence over social standing to control or harm others.
Unfortunately, bullying is common in many schools. According to the CDC,
nearly
14 percent of public schools report
that bullying is a problem occurring at least once a week. One in five high
school students report being bullied at school and one in six report that
they’ve been bullied online.
Why do people bully?
There are many reasons
why young people engage in bullying, from anger management issues to prejudice to a lack of self-esteem or
being bullied themselves. People who feel powerless in their own lives may
seek power in social interactions to climb the social ladder, secure a
coveted spot, or get attention.
Some retaliate against others in response to aggression they have suffered
themselves. To interrupt this cycle, we all need to be more mindful of our
own behaviors that might be perceived as bullying.
Sometimes a tease or a slur can be bullying in the wrong context. As
children, we often learn this on the playground or in other unstructured
social contexts, where we experiment with taking on different roles and
meeting new people.
Today, with the internet and social media, the “playground” has gotten a
lot bigger and more diverse — with fewer social cues to guide us and a more
rapid, widespread impact.
What you can do as a parent
Parents can start by setting clear expectations with their children that
they will not tolerate cruelty. Encouraging kindness and empathy between
siblings is a good place to start. It’s important to remind children of
other people’s feelings, since childhood and adolescence are very
self-centered stages of development.
There are lots of
strategies to prevent bullying. Here are some key actions to take:
-
Watch for signs of depression and comments reflecting hopelessness such as
“no one cares” or “it doesn’t matter.” -
Make time to talk with your children every day to keep lines of
communication open. -
Advocate for your child, stepping in if needed to talk to other adults and
teachers to create healthier dynamics. -
Teach your children to watch for bullying and model appropriate responses
for them. - Monitor your kids’ social channels and who they’re talking to online.
Don’t accept bullying as a part of growing up
Bullying is not a fact of life, and we should not accept it. We can all do
our part to build a culture of kindness at home, in school, and in other
social settings. If we set high expectations for respectful behavior and
model it ourselves, we will all reap the rewards of a community in which
every member can thrive.
The CDC has developed
this resource package
on evidence-based strategies to help communities prevent youth violence.
It’s also
available in Spanish.
If you or someone you know are in crisis, there is help.
Mental health emergency:
24/7 Crisis Hotline
– 215-685-6440
Any type of crisis:
Crisis Text Line
– Text HOME to 741741
Suicide prevention:
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
– 1-800-273-8255
This article was originally published on
IBX Insights.
About Dario V. LaRocca, M.D.
I have been a medical director at Independence Blue Cross (Independence)
for over 15 years and have maintained a private practice in Psychiatry for
over 30 years. My interest in mental health and its integration with
physical health has been my life’s work. My role at Independence allows me
to continue this work and be a psychiatric liaison to health services,
providers, and hospital systems, as well as provide clinical guidance to
programs at Independence and collaborate with Magellan.