EFFECTS OF SCHOOL BULLYING ON CHILDREN

Bullying is a multifaceted behavior that affects those who are bullied, the bully and even
those who witness the bullying. It involves a real or perceived power imbalance which could be
physical or psychological. School bullying does not always involve the stereotypical bigger,
older or stronger bullies picking on a younger, smaller and shy victim. Bullying extends to online
emotional distress through offensive messages or inappropriate posts on social media about the
victim as such behavior causes emotional damage to the victim. In both physical and bullying,
bullies still rely on power dynamics that places them over the bullied. School bullying is mainly
caused by the need for bullies to claim a certain sort of power and can lead to short-term and
long-term psychological and emotional problems to the bully, bullied and bystanders.
Children who are regular victims of bullying struggle to maintain healthy friendships due
to factors such as low self-esteem. Such lack of self-esteem is majorly as a result of the mean
things other children say about them. For instance, a bullied child who is constantly called
“loser” or “fat” easily begins to believe such insults are true definitions of who they are. Due to
the precedence of negative emotions about themselves, children who are bullied also tend to
experience a wide range of emotions compared to children who are not bullied (Leraya et. al,
2015). They tend to feel vulnerable, bitter, helpless, frustrated, angry and isolated from their
peer. Undoubtedly, such feelings contribute to the bullied failing to attend all their classes and
might eventually register low academic performance. Lacey, Cornell, and Konold (2017) note
that schools with pervasive bullying register lower scores since students are highly distracted by
bullying and less focused on learning. Without intervention, bullied children continue to avoid
social interactions, struggle with academic and show difficulty in developing and sustaining
healthy interpersonal relationships.

Effects of School Bullying on Children 3
School bullying also impacts the health of the bullied due to increased risk of suffering
from anxiety and depression. Children who are bullied tend to report higher rates of illnesses
such as headaches and stomach aches. In addition to the physical injuries in the case of physical
bullying, bullied children are at a higher risk of suicidal behaviors as a result of depression.
According to a study that analyzed the link between bullying and suicide, researchers found out
that such a situation stems from multiple factors (Lardier Jr et. al, 2016). In this case, although
bullying increased the risk of suicide in kids, it is not the sole cause for suicide cases associated
with bullying. Other factors such as trauma history, problems at home and depression contribute
to suicide risk. The study also revealed that specific groups such as the LGBT, American Indian,
Asian American and Alaskan native have an increased risk of suicide. Moreover, lack of
parental, peer and school support has also been linked to cases of suicide related to bullying. In
this case, main attributions include the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness which easily
contribute to suicidal thoughts. To reduce the risk of suicide in bullying cases, parents and
children need to be educated on the link between bullying and suicide. Education promotes
understanding the nature of bullying and how to handle bullying incidents.
Children who bully others are also at a risk of developing short term and long-term
emotional problems just like their victims. One of the biggest effect of bullying on the bullies is
the tendency to have problems connecting with their peers. Wolke and Lereya (2015) notes that
bullies can be manipulative, violent, cruel, unpleasant and without empathy. These characters
could easily become isolating factor, hence the relating to sticking to unhealthy peer groups that
promote negative and unruly behavior. Although some bullies keep large circles of friends that
convey positive and healthy interpersonal relationships, most of these large circles contribute to
the power imbalance which triggers their bullying behavior. It is still unclear the extent of

Effects of School Bullying on Children 4
connection between bullying behavior and underlying emotional problem. Some psychologists
have argued that bullying behavior is highly symptomatic of other problems, which ultimately
predisposes the bully to alcohol and drug abuse in their teen years (Ttofi et. al, 2016). Bullies
often get fights ins school, are involved in most vandalism cases and show higher rates of
dropping out of school.
Those who witness bullying can also suffer long-term and short-term problems which
might affect their ability to form healthy relationships in personal and professional levels. In the
school context, bullying might lead to bystanders being reluctant to attend school due to guilt and
fear for not doing anything to stop the bully. Many schools have strict policies regarding
bullying, hence bystanders could be hesitant to participate in the bullying to avoid problems with
school administration. Children who witness bullying could develop mental health problems that
interfere with their ability to stay focused on their studies. A recent survey showed that children
from schools with high rates of bullying cases scored lower on SAT than children with low
incidences of bullying (Lacey, Cornell & Konold, 2017). This means that bystanders might be
negatively affected by bulling regardless of whether they intervene or not.
School bullying causes long-lasting psychological impact that extends beyond childhood
to adulthood. For the bullied, the impact of low self-esteem can easily creep into their
professional life. This means that the bullied might not be assertive and display enough
competence to maintain healthy relationships at work. In some cases, the bullied child within the
adult comes off as incompetence due to demonstration of vulnerability and low levels of
resilience. In addition to this, the bullied might continue to be socially withdrawn even after
growing into adults. The long-lasting impact of bullying present a similar case to the bullies.
Without intervention, bullies can continue displaying high levels of aggressive behavior which

Effects of School Bullying on Children 5
impacts their ability to relate well to workmates (Albayrak, Yıldız & Erol, 2017). A high level
of aggressive behavior also means that bullies are more likely to be poor problem solvers who
are unable to use effective conflict resolution skills. In addition to difficulties integrating into the
work place, bullies can also have trouble understanding limits and boundaries. It is easy for
bullies to inflict fatal harm to their victim without intending to. There is extensive literature on
long-term impacts of bullying on the bullied and the bully compare to bystanders (Wolke &
Lereya, 2015). Despite the notion that bystanders are not affected by bullying in their adulthood,
some studies reveal that bystander can subconsciously develop anxiety and evade responsibilities
that require them to act on injustice.
As a result of the harmful and unhealthy risks associated with bullying, many states in the
U.S. have enacted anti-bullying legislation to stop bullying. Although there are no federal laws
that focus on bullying, there are some which can be applied to handle instances of bullying. This
kind of support from the government shows that everyone in the community has the power to act
towards eradicating bullying in schools. For school, explicit policies that address the issue of
bullying helps students learn how they can communicate and intervene in different scenarios
involving bullying Cornell & Limber, 2015). Such specific attention to bullying makes it clear
that bullying is not tolerated both within the school environment and out of school. It is
important for parents outside the school setting to refuse to tolerate bullying and act. For
instance, parents of the bullied must help the victim understand that bullying behavior does not
reflect on their character or incompetence in any area of life. In such a setting, a parent would be
helping the bullied child develop high self-esteem in addition to redefining their sense of self-
worth. Parents of bullies should also make it clear that they do not tolerate bullying. Upon the
realization that their child is a bully, they must be willing to take the proper steps to investigate

Effects of School Bullying on Children 6
and act on the issue. Furthermore, these parents should also ensure that the bully understands the
damage they are inflicting on their victim and also strive to find out if there are any unresolved
emotional problems.
School bullying is a harmful behavior that cultivates a culture of fear and causes short-
term and long-lasting impact on the bullied, the bully and those who witness bullying. It causes
physical and emotional distress to the bullied and could potentially lead to suicide (Wolke &
Lereya, 2015). Due to the emotional and psychological problems experienced by the victim,
academic performance is affected. Without intervention and support, bullies can be isolated,
unable to form healthy relationships and have lasting negative impact on their capacity to
achieve optimal well-being. Bullies are also not spared from consequences as they can also have
short and long-lasting impact such as poor performance, unhealthy relationships and challenges
integrating into work. To prevent bullying in schools, parents, teachers and children should be
educated on steps of action during such incidences. The harmful impact of school bullying has
necessitated many state governments to enact laws that facilitate investigation and providing
solutions to bullying. Ultimately, bullying is a harmful behavior that should not be tolerated in
the community.

Effects of School Bullying on Children 7

References

Albayrak, S., Yıldız, A., & Erol, S. (2016). Assessing the effect of school bullying prevention
programs on reducing bullying. Children and youth services review, 63, 1-9.
Cornell, D., & Limber, S. P. (2015). Law and policy on the concept of bullying at school.
American Psychologist, 70(4), 333.
Lacey, A., Cornell, D., & Konold, T. (2017). The relations between teasing and bullying and
middle school standardized exam performance. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 37(2),
192-221.
Lardier Jr, D. T., Barrios, V. R., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (2016). Suicidal ideation among
suburban adolescents: The influence of school bullying and other mediating risk factors.
Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 28(3), 213-231.
Lereya, S. T., Copeland, W. E., Costello, E. J., & Wolke, D. (2015). Adult mental health
consequences of peer bullying and maltreatment in childhood: two cohorts in two
countries. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(6), 524-531.
Ttofi, M. M., Farrington, D. P., Lösel, F., Crago, R. V., & Theodorakis, N. (2016). School
bullying and drug use later in life: A meta-analytic investigation. School psychology
quarterly, 31(1), 8.
Wolke, D., & Lereya, S. T. (2015). Long-term effects of bullying. Archives of disease in
childhood, 100(9), 879-885.