A lot of people get bullied for many reasons as children. This can be by their peers or sometimes by adults. Abuse, whether at school, at home, or even online, can have detrimental effects on your physical and mental well-being. Here are the 18 most common long-term effects of childhood bullying.
Psychological Effects
Many bullies use physical or emotional torture to intimidate their victims. This creates emotional scars that often linger into adulthood. Psychological trauma can lead to various issues, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. According to ScienceDaily, children who are bullied are more likely to develop anxiety and depressive disorders.
Impact on Life Choices
Life decisions can be difficult and require courage in believing in your abilities. If you are scared of taking risks or always doubt yourself, you may make poor choices. People who face childhood traumas tend to fear the unknown and avoid change that limits growth.
Effects on Future Generations
The trauma from being bullied can affect how individuals parent, causing a vicious cycle of poor behavior. We may end up parenting our children the way we were raised. On the other hand, some people try to overcorrect and become overbearing trying to protect their children.
Impact on Education
Bullying happens a lot in schools, and it can greatly impact the performance of the students. It has been reported by The National Center for Educational Statistics that over 1 in 5 students reported being bullied either verbally, physically, or via cyberbullying. Children may start avoiding going to school due to fear, which affects their academic performance and social skills.
Influence on Self-Perception
Peers or community members constantly teasing you about your looks or behavior can cause self-doubt. You may become less confident and feel worthless. Others’ words and reactions may make you feel like you aren’t enough, resulting in a negative body image.
Increased Risk of Substance Abuse
Being picked on or mistreated can cause a lot of self-doubt and feelings of loneliness, which leads to some resorting to drugs as a coping mechanism. Addictionhelp.com says that people who were physically bullied in their childhood have a higher likelihood of using drugs and alcohol as adults.
Resilience and Personal Growth
Despite the negatives, some people find strength in their experiences of being bullied. They build resilience, which helps them face new challenges more effectively. Many engage in activities that promote personal growth or use their experiences to help and inspire others who might be facing similar difficulties.
Perception of Safety
Those who experienced childhood bullying might always feel vulnerable and often get anxious in crowded or unfamiliar places. To feel more secure, they might need constant reassurance or prefer staying in known, controlled environments. Being on alert all the time and wanting to control your environment might cause persistent stress.
Long-term Mental Health Issues
Being under constant isolation and fear takes a toll on your mental health. You become anxious from constantly looking over your shoulder, and that unhappiness can lead to depression. According to Priemer Health, some people even develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and others have suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Behavioral Changes
Children are often happy and positive, but environmental factors can change their behavior. When one is subjected to abuse, they may start to fight back. This can be in the form of aggression, or sometimes, they can also become bullies later in life.
Relationship with Authority
Facing a lot of mistreatment and judgment as a child can cause us to not trust people and face problems with figures of authority. Telling them what to do may be triggering as it feels like they are back to being helpless children.
Impact on Physical Health
Poor interactions can affect physical health. As Cleveland Clinic explains, psychosomatic symptoms such as headaches and stomachaches are usually unexplained physical pains. Some people lose appetite or develop poor dietary habits as a result of stress, causing long-term health issues such as poor immune function.
Career and Professional Life
Succeeding in your professional life requires good social skills. You need confidence, good communication, and good connections with others to boost your career. People facing challenges in these aspects due to bullying may be impacted in their job performance, deterring progress in their professional goals.
Coping Mechanisms
Victims of bullying often develop coping mechanisms, but some might not be healthy. They could start lashing out at others due to psychological trauma, isolate themselves, or sometimes perform self-harming practices. Getting therapy and counseling is important to unlearn these bad habits and find healthier coping techniques.
Emotional Regulation Difficulties
Trauma can lead to difficulty controlling one’s emotions. Some people may react too strongly to small issues, while others feel emotionally numb and disconnected. These challenges can make personal and professional relationships difficult, as their emotional responses can be unpredictable or inappropriate to the situation.
Social Interaction Challenges
People who face torment tend to withdraw from social interactions. Verywell Family says bullied children may have low self-esteem and find it hard to form and maintain relationships even as adults. They don’t easily trust people, which is an obstacle to creating healthy connections.
Awareness and Advocacy
Many who have endured mistreatment work to prevent the same experiences for others. They participate in campaigns that raise awareness about bullying and its impacts. Their efforts help support current victims and promote a culture that actively fights against bullying in schools and communities.
Healing and Recovery
It’s easier to help others when you have been through similar situations. Getting therapy and joining support groups play a crucial role in recovery. They offer a space for sharing experiences and gaining strength from others who understand. This allows individuals to find strength in each other, leading to recovery.
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