Bullying is known to potentially have a significant impact on a child’s life. However, it’s important to realize that bullying doesn’t just affect the child. Here, we’ll look how bullying affects everyone involved in the behaviour.
Bullying Affects Everyone
Bullying is often softened with phrases such as “kids will be kids”, “it’s a normal part of growing up”, and “it will help toughen up more sensitive children”. All of these statements can be potentially damaging and also misleading.
The truth is, bullying affects a wide range of people, not just the victim. It impacts the parents for one, who often spend a lot of time trying to handle and deal with the effects of the bullying.
As a parent, it’s devastating to see your child suffering at the hands of a bully. It can take years to correct the damage done by an elementary school bully.
Bullying can also have an impact on other children who have witnessed the behaviour. Research has shown that elementary schools with an anti-bullying policy, typically have a much nicer, calmer environment. Young children attending schools without one, however, tend to have a lot more anxiety.
Even the bully themselves, along with the people they get close to in later life, can be impacted. It’s been shown children who were bullies, are likely to develop anxiety and depression.
They’re also likely to go on to become abusive as adults if the behaviour isn’t dealt with. There’s also the real possibility they could be expelled from school and go on to partake in criminal behaviour.
How bullying can affect the victim’s life
Of course, the victims of bullying is the one whose life is mainly affected. Although there are exceptions, children who are bullied during elementary school are more likely to:
- Have very low self-esteem
- Perform worse academically
- Develop anxiety or depression
- Find it difficult to develop healthy relationships in the future
- Commit suicide
Most adults who suffer from depression and anxiety have probably experienced some form of bullying throughout their life. This just goes to show how significant the emotional damage of bullying can be.
Thankfully suicide is rare for elementary children, but it isn’t unheard of. Bullying is becoming more aggressive and frequent and is starting at much younger ages.
There has been an increase in the number of young children attempting suicide. There’s also the risk they will attempt suicide later in life due to the additional issues bullying can cause.
Bullying affects a wide range of people. It’s not just short-term effects that you need to think about – it’s the long-term effects which can be particularly devastating. That’s why it’s so important to recognize the signs and deal with the problem as soon as possible.
The longer a child is bullying or being bullied, the more severe the effects will be.
Remember Bullying Affects everyone. Be involved and help stop bullying in the schoolyard and online.
More information on bullying can be found at Stop Bullying.
Mama Bear’s Haven is a Canadian lifestyle blog created by Tammy Bell in 2012. She loves cold brew tea, chocolate and taking pictures of nature.There's recipes, parenting tips and crafts.
I LOVE this posting, Tammy!! I have re-posted to my FB page. You understand! As the parent of a child who suffered at the hands of another child, who saw the school turn their heads, who saw the parents of the bully turn away without regard, I know exactly what you mean. I worry about the lifelong effect on my little guy every day, and see how this made and continues to make him suffer. Great job – I hope it opens up some people’s eyes!
As someone who lived a life of constant ridicule from other kids plus having a daughter who suffered her entire elementary school life with a bully, thanks for writing this. Not only is it important to teach our kids not to act like bullies but also support our kids who are bullied. They are not alone and they do not have to live with it!!! 🙌🏻
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