The 7 Main Psychological Consequences of Bullying

Bullying is one of the most difficult situations that a child or adolescent can experience It involves the rejection of the peer group at a time when the basis of identity is being built and seeking to satisfy the need for affiliation.

Bullying includes diverse behaviors: from explicit physical aggression to the use of insults or contempt, as well as exclusion from games and shared activities, or the spread of false rumors about the victim.

As a consequence of all this, the person may see their emotional health, the feelings they harbor about themselves and the specific way in which they relate to others; and can extend into adulthood.

Next We will do a detailed review of the consequences of Bullying this being a matter of great interest today due to the emergence of new technologies (the Internet) and associated forms of harassment whose impact we still largely do not know.

The consequences of bullying

Bullying is a form of persistent harassment that does not respond to identifiable causes and that generates a high degree of stress in those who experience it. For this reason, is linked to the appearance of emotional and behavioral problems whose presence can extend throughout life, although adopting different faces in each period.

In this article we will review some of the most common consequences of Bullying, in order to facilitate its prompt identification, articulate the necessary measures to address the situation and offer psychological help that minimizes the impact on the life of the boy or girl who suffers from it

1. Deficit in social skills

The optimal development of our social skills requires safe spaces in which it can be deployed. symbolic play during childhood, or the first relationships of intimacy and confidence in adolescence Both vital periods are an opportunity for self-knowledge and for the practice of the basic aspects of social reciprocity, inherent to any bond of friendship or companionship.

The emergence of Bullying limits the options available to the child to put into play the foundations of social cognition, which will later allow them to build basic skills to interact with others.

In these circumstances it is possible that they choose to assuming extreme attitudes on the continuum between passivity and aggressiveness, appearing vulnerable or belligerent in a desperate effort to protect their image or even their physical integrity.

These difficulties can lead to fear of rejection in adult life, or to perceiving the situation of social interaction from a preventive reserve that resembles shyness (although it is not really that). It is important to remember that the consequences of Bullying transcend the years, hindering the ability to adapt to environments other than school (work, family, etc.) and imposing “social setbacks” that could ultimately require a therapeutic approach.

2. Rejection from the peer group

The need for affiliation is basic in human beings, surpassed only by physical security and access to basic functions for survival (nutrition, for example). In this sense, the rejection that children and/or adolescents may experience generates an indelible and produces feelings of loss of control and helplessness which condition the foundations of the attachment that was forged during early childhood.

Bullying victims are more vulnerable to experiencing new bullying situations, by colleagues different from those who originally started the whole problem. This unfair phenomenon (extensively contrasted by Social Psychology) is due to the fact that looking for “enemies” tends to strengthen the ties that maintain group cohesion, and those who have suffered these forms of violence are usually perceived as easy targets for this purpose.

New information and communication technologies, such as mobile phones or social networks, spread these attacks to settings other than those of school or college (and even university).

Abuse through any of these means can cross the limits of educational centers and interfere deeply in the life of the victim, turning a growing number of anonymous people into potential witnesses. All of this causes its harmful effects to multiply exponentially.

3. Low self-esteem

The perception we have about ourselves is, throughout life, susceptible to the opinion of others about who we are. Self-image is a very complex process, in which individual and social dimensions come together to guide us in the effort to understand our role and what differentiates us as human beings.

However, the importance of another’s perspective is particularly relevant in the age period in which Bullying situations usually occur.

Contempt or insult, as well as physical aggression and overt rejection, are perceived as a sign of inadequacy by the person who receives them. It is a set of messages that build an intimate sense of shame, and that can even promote a feeling of guilt and permanent questioning of what we are or what we are worth. This doubt strengthens as time passes, conditioning self-perception and ultimately attacking self-esteem.

Self-efficacy is another dimension directly linked to self-esteem, which is related to the belief in the ability to successfully carry out a specific task. One of the consequences of bullying is that victims develop the unshakeable certainty that they are not “adequate” to relate to others considering that they will be rejected at any attempt at rapprochement and forging a special predisposition for the development of social anxiety.

4. Academic failure and refusal to go to school

One of the first suggestive signs that something is happening is the refusal to go to school or college. Many of the boys and girls who suffer this type of harassment go so far as to pretend to feel unwell to avoid attending class, simulating symptoms of a supposed illness. Other times, the expectation of going to school generates real physical sensations, compatible with intense anxiety; and which include headaches, diffuse pain or digestive system disorders

Anxiety levels can cause a decline in the cognitive resources required to face the most demanding academic challenges. In turn, persistent absenteeism can cause the rhythm of the content taught during class to be lost, all of which is related to obtaining poor grades that prevent access to the curricular itineraries desired for the future.

The loss of motivation for studies does not take long to appear, intensely wanting to leave this vital period to join a job market in which things can develop differently. However, the simple change of scenery in which day-to-day life takes place is insufficient to satisfy the emotional pain that accompanies those who had to live through such an unfortunate situation, generally extending to other areas of life when adequate treatment is not articulated.

5. Depression and anxiety

One of the consequences of Bullying that generates the most difficulties is the development of mood and anxiety disorders, with major depression being especially common. The clinical expression of this condition takes on a unique aspect in this age period, and can manifest itself in the form of irritability. For this reason, the sadness that accompanies it tends to be projected outwards masking itself as a different problem than what it really is (often the family confuses them as behavioral problems).

Beyond social anxiety, which has been discussed above, Bullying can also precipitate consistently elevated autonomic activation. So, the victim is persistently physiologically altered, which is fertile ground for the first episodes of panic. This circumstance requires immediate attention, otherwise it can lead to a more complex and long-lasting disorder.

Other problems that have been consistently described in children who suffer from bullying are the feeling of unwanted loneliness and isolation, as well as changes in eating patterns and sleep. Although all of the symptoms mentioned can occur in the context of major adolescent depression, they can also occur in isolation and require intervention. The inability to enjoy things that were previously rewarding is also a common phenomenon.

6. Self-harm

Very recent studies have revealed that the experience of bullying at school may increase the risk of self-harming behavior during late adolescence, especially in girls

Most cases of self-inflicted harm seek to relieve stress, or communicate it through punitive means, with few cases that constitute attempted suicide in and of themselves. It is estimated that people who have been bullied have a five times greater risk of harming themselves later in life.

7. Suicidal ideation

Meta-analysis studies indicate that suffering from Bullying increases the presence of suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviors. The group that suffers a greater risk of incurring in this type of thoughts and actions is that of young people who suffer and practice Bullying (both situations simultaneously), who also show a greater prevalence of emotional disorders (anxiety, depression, substance use and abuse within the home).

An increased risk of suicidal ideation has been described in adolescent boys and girls who, in addition to suffering from a bullying situation, feel misunderstood at home or at school. In these cases, the concept of double victimization is used to refer to an aggravated impact on the abuse situation, as a result of the passivity of the organizations that should ensure the safety of the child, or the lack of protection of the care figures.