How Does Bullying Affect Children? Read on to know its future consequences
It would not be wrong to say that children who are frequently targeted by bullies regularly suffer both emotionally and socially.
Being bullied is both heartbreaking and depressing. But many adults, until they too have been bullied, have a challenging time understanding simply how much children can suffer. They fail to understand that the consequences of bullying are massive and can have a lasting impact.
Here is an overview of how much bullying affects the children :
Social and Emotional Impact
Kids who are frequently targeted by bullies regularly suffer both emotionally and socially. Not only do they find it challenging to make friends, they also battle to keep healthy friendships.
Part of this struggle is directly related to low self-esteem. A lack of self-esteem is a direct result of the implied and hurtful things that other children say about them. When children are constantly called "fat" or "losers," they start to trust these things are true.
Bullying victims also have a tendency to experience a huge range of emotions. They might also feel angry, bitter, vulnerable, helpless, frustrated, lonely, and isolated from their peers. Consequently, they might also ignore classes, and resort to tablets and alcohol to numb their pain. And if bullying is on-going, it might also increase depression and they can even contemplate suicide.
Physical Impact
Aside from the bumps and bruises that happen during physical bullying, there are extra physical costs. For instance, bullied children regularly experience anxiety.
The stress on their bodies also will result in a range of health issues, which includes being unwell more often and struggling from ulcers, and different conditions triggered by chronic anxiety.
Bullied children also might also complain of stomach aches and headaches.
The bullying they experience might also aggravate different pre-existing conditions like eczema, skin conditions, stomach issues etc.
Long-Term Effects
When children are bullied, they can experience a psychological effect that doesn't really go away as they grow up. Research shows that the results of bullying last properly into adulthood. In fact, one study discovered that the consequences of being bullied by friends might also have a larger effect on mental health in adulthood than at the start. What's more? The effect might also be even more extensive than being mistreated by adults.
Remember, the experiences that humans have while they are children help them in their adulthood. So it is not shocking that the results of bullying linger properly into adulthood. This then helps to affect their future mindset, which includes how they view themselves and others.
