Bullying affects everyone involved. If you suspect that your child is being bullied, you may already have seen the effects of bullying reflected in his or her behavior. But bullying also affects the students who bully, bystanders, parents, schools, and the community.
Students Who are Bullied- Students deserve to feel safe at school. But if they experience bullying, they may feel insecure, grow to dislike school, and have difficulty learning. The effects of being bullied typically do not end in childhood. As they grow older, students who were bullied can experience:
- depression
- low self-esteem
- health problems
- poor grades
- suicidal thoughts
Observers of Bullying - Students who observe bullying, often called bystanders, may feel they are in an unsafe environment. Effects of bullying on bystanders may include feeling:
- fearful
- powerless to act
- guilty for not acting
- drawn to participate
Students Who Bully Others - Students who bully other individuals also have problems but typically of a very different nature. Many bullying students engage in other antisocial behaviors such as breaking rules, shoplifting, vandalizing property, carrying a weapon, drinking alcohol, and smoking at relatively young ages.
There are also clear indications that students who bully, in particular boys, are at a greater risk of continuing on an antisocial path involving crime and substance abuse in young adulthood.
Next Steps for Bullying Prevention
As a parent of a student who has experienced bullying or who has bullied others, you may be reluctant to report the bullying behavior to teachers, staff, or administrators, but helping your child deal with bullying is an important part of addressing bullying in schools.
