Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide: The Lasting Effects of Bullying

Last week the New York Post reported on the suicide of a 13-year-old Staten Island boy who had been relentlessly bullied at his Catholic school. Danny Fitzgerald’s parents posted his sad and touching letter on Facebook.It’s another example of why bullying is not good for children — or for anyone.

bullying mental effects

What’s more, the deleterious effects are no longer confined to the playground. They continue long after students close the schoolyard gate, several studies say. It turns out that not only do people being bullied suffer long-term emotional problems, but so do the bullies.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on Feb. 20, 2013, and was updated by Roberta Alexander on August 16, 2016.

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In the final analysis the victim suffers from the scars of bullying. The bully suffers from  guilt of knowing how much pain he inflicted on others. You can’t turn back the clock but you can seek out the people that were bullied in a heartfelt way through social media venues and speak with them to ask for forgiveness. This is not easy, it’s hard. According to the research health problems arise because of guilt and bitterness from either being a bully or a victim. Bringing these two parties together later in life can make a difference in terms of their health and longevity. From a practical standpoint bullies need to held accountable at an early age and victims need to be strengthened to feel more capable and connected.

Short Term and Long Term Effects of Bullying

Short Term and Long Term Effects of Bullying

Bullying is a serious threat to our youth today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bullying affects 20% of high school students and cyberbullying affects 16% of high school students. Surveys compiled by the CDC also show that 33% of students ages 12-18 who reported bullying at school and 27% of students ages 12-18 who reported cyberbullying indicated that they were bullied at least once or twice a month. Middle schools reported the highest rate of bullying (25%), at least once a week.

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Bullying has lasting effects without question. The concern is what do we do with revenge seeking victims, who have been abused for a lifetime and whose cup has just emotionally run over. Rarely do you see a bully involved in a school shooting. It’s always the victim who believes that the only way to get even is to get even with the world as he/she knows it. More has to be done in the area of mental illness to address the clinical issues that victims face. Strengthening the victim with a resiliency based program can develop confidence and improve self esteem. 

 

Monica Lewinsky’s New Anti Bullying Campaign

Monica Lewinsky’s New Anti Bullying Campaign

Here’s why I wish this was around when I was younger.

Bullying is something many of us can relate to. More so because it starts from our playground days and can last a lifetime.

It takes on so many different forms, but perhaps the worst of the damage lies not in physical confrontation (which is bad in itself already), but by callously and cruelly tossed words slung someone’s way.

The intent to injure with words goes beyond name-calling. It’s a systematic way of breaking down and crippling someone else’s self-esteem.

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Words at times can do more damage then the physical abuse of bullying. We all have to filter what we say and determine if our words are truthful, kind, and necessary. If they are not then we have to evaluate our motives for saying what we say to others.

 

 

The Long Reach Of Adult Bullying

The Long Reach Of Adult Bullying

Until the last presidential election and the rise of the #MeToo movement, people often thought of bullying almost exclusively as kid stuff, not something mature adults engage in. How wrong we were! It turns out that adults are being bullied at rates that rival what kids experience: In an online survey of more than 2,000 adults across the U.S., conducted on behalf of the American Osteopathic Association in October, 31 percent of respondents said they’ve been bullied as adults, and 43 percent believe that bullying behavior has become more accepted in the past year.

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Adult bullies are those who were never corrected as children. They still believe that they can say and do anything they want at the expense of relationships and their possible employment. This behavior will ultimately catch up to them when thy least expect it. You never know when you will need the help of someone. Character training in schools is necessary in order to break this pattern of abusive behavior.

 

From Weinstein To Lauer: Sexual Harassment Cases

From Weinstein To Lauer: Sexual Harassment Cases

In October, the New York Times published allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

» RELATED: Sexual harassment in the workplace: What is it, how to report it and more you should know

Sexual harassment in schools and in the workplace

And since then, multiple high-profile men in media, politics and other industries have faced allegations ranging from inappropriate behavior to forced sexual misconduct to rape.

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What a year to behold. The problem is our kids see this stuff in the news and social media. We want our kids to develop strong character but watching this stuff carves away at their moral fiber. Character truly is everything and teaching our kids the qualities of respect, responsibility, caring , and kindness may become an uphill battle as they grow older.