Features of Short Term and Long-term Effects of Bullying

Cyber bullying has serious effects on both short and long- term health of children. Immediate intervention and long-term flollow-up can help mediate some of these effects. It isimperative that schools, families, and communties work together to understand byllying and its consequences and fine ways to decrease, and hopefully eradicate bullying both in schools and communties.

Short term effects

Psychological and physical damages are common effects of bullying. Bullied usually show a number of psychological problems, include depression and anxiety. Female may develop eating disorders after or while being bullied. Moreover, victimized children of both gender may have psychosomatic issues, which are bodily complaints that have no physical damaged. For example, victims often suffer from headaches or stomachaches, particularly before the school day begins.

They also often have a range of sleep trouble, bullied one may have difficulties falling asleep and getting their needed rest on any given night. When they are able to sleep, they are more likely to have nightmares than their peers. These nightmares tend to be vivid and menacing and may or may not involve the bully. In addition, victims may become suicidal. This means that they think about committing suicide much more often than others at their age. Victimized children also suffer from lower social status than non-victimized one.

Social exclusion may have led to a child being bullied in the first place, but it seems that peer rejection gets even worse after a person is bullied. As a result, victims often feel lonely and abandoned and suffer from low self-esteem. Last but not least, bullied victims tend to have problems with academic achievement.

This primarily occurs due to victim’s frequent absenteeism. Their experiences of emotional, psychological and physical trauma lead them to prefer staying at home than going out to pursue their studies.

Long-term effects

Children who were victims of bullying have been consistently found to be at higher risk of internalising problems, in particular diagnose of anxiety disorder and depression in young adulthood and middle adulthood (18-50 years of age). Furthermore, victims were increased risk for displaying psychotic experiences at age 18 and having suicidal ideation, attempts and completed suicides. Victims were also reported to have poor general health, including more bodily pain, headaches and slower recovery from illnesses. Moreover, they were found to have lower education qualifications, be worse at financial management and to earn less than their peers even at age 50. Victims were also reported to have more trouble making or keeping friends and to be less likely to live with a partner and have social support.