How bullying, if left untreated, can affect one’s adulthood
RANDBURG – Principal of British International Preparatory, Garth Thompson gives his insight on the effects bullying has on children, both the victim and the bully.
Principal of British International Preparatory School, Garth Thompson gives his insight on bullying and its effects on both the victim and the bully.
“Bullying is considerably more harmful than many people give it credit for.”
And it’s for this reason, he added, his school has a zero-tolerance approach toward bullying. Thompson explained when incidents of bullying do occur, the school is quick to react and take into account the impact of bullying on both the victim and the bully.
He spoke about a published study by Stephanie Pappas that showed children struggle to outgrow the pain of bullying and carry the impact well into adulthood.
“The study shows that children who are bullied are frequently less mentally healthy as adults. Children who are bullied are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and even suicidal tendencies as adults,” said Thompson.
He added that bullies, who most frequently resort to bullying due to their own traumas, are at a higher risk of substance abuse, depression, anxiety and hostility than non-bullies.
Long-term effects
Bullies are at risk as adults of developing an antisocial personality disorder. People with this disorder have little empathy and few scruples about manipulating others for their own gain.
The disorder is associated with a greater risk of becoming a criminal.
Children who were victims of bullying are at a higher risk of suffering from depression, anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia.
These children are four times as likely to develop an anxiety disorder in adulthood compared with children who were uninvolved in bullying.
With immediate and proper mental health treatment and support systems, victims can stave off some of the potential long-term consequences of bullying.
Without intervention, however, bullied children are at risk of the following:
- Chronic depression
- Increased risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide plans and suicide attempts
- Anxiety disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Poor general health
- Self-destructive behaviours, including self-harm
- Substance abuse
- Difficulty establishing trusting, reciprocal friendships and relationships and therefore they are at increased risk of divorce as adults.
Long-term effects on the bully:
Without proper treatment, bullying behaviour is likely to continue into adulthood.
- Risk of spousal or child abuse
- Substance abuse
- Less likely to be educated or employed.
It is said that childhood bullying has serious effects on both the short- and long-term health of children.
Immediate intervention and long-term follow-up can help mediate some of these effects.
It is imperative that schools, families, and communities work together to understand bullying and its consequences and find ways to decrease, and hopefully eradicate, bullying both in schools and communities.
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