What Are The Causes and Effects of Bullying

This essay aims to explore "what are the causes and effects of bullying," a critical issue that continues to plague various segments of society. Among the most common and neglected problems in the world, bullying is on top of the list. It is a terrible and dangerous act that occurs in numerous places, from homes, schools, workplaces, to the internet (cyber-bullying). According to NCAB (National Centre Against Bullying), the definition of bullying is when an individual or a group of people with more power, repeatedly cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people who feel helpless to respond. Common acts of bullying include: teasing, insults, name-calling, provoking, threats, taunting, and it can get physical by beating or stealing. In order to fully understand this issue, one should take a look, and address the underlying reasons and causes why one becomes a bully at the first place, and what its effects can be. Neglect and insecurity can make a person want to bully others; but the victim can get seriously hurt, and this can lead to serious problems like depression, and poor performance in academia, or life in general. So the cause and effects of bullying are analyzed in this essay.

One of the root causes, and the most important one in my opinion, is the family life and how things are at home. If a child is growing up in a dysfunctional family, with abusive parents, who fight all the time, no one wants to hear or support them, it's sufficient to make the child feel unloved and not important, leading them to become angry and insecure individuals later on. Jealousy, attention-seeking, low self-esteem, stress and traumas are other causes for bullying. Regardless of the reasons, at the end of the day the bully him or herself is solely responsible. It is a very dangerous act, as it can lead to numerous serious and extensive effects.

Side effects range all the way from poor appetite and non-stop crying, to suicidal tendencies. From a mental standpoint, victims of bullying are far more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, abnormal fears and worries, sleep disorders and nervous habits. People who have been bullied can go from being happy and confident, to being withdrawn, developing shyness, and low self-esteem. One may see no worth in himself, and there is no way out of this torment. This can lead to alcohol and drug addiction. In more severe cases, a person may commit suicide because they see no value in life.

Bullying also interferes with academic performance and social involvement. If a student finds himself a target for bullying, he may hate school and refuse to go. His grades will go downhill; he won't be able to learn. They may be very good at sports, but refuse to play or join teams, just because they will be picked on. Severe bullying may lead people to drop out of school. Research has shown that approximately 160,000 teens have skipped school because of bullying, and 1 in 5 students ages 12-18 has been bullied during the school year.

In conclusion, there are several causes of bullying such as rage, increased anger, revenge, jealousy and the urge to be in control. On the other hand, bullying has several severe effects such as self-destruction behaviors, development of nervous habits, and the risk of developing anxiety or depression or both. Certainly, bullying is a very unpleasant phenomenon of everyday life, and no one should turn a blind eye towards it.

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