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Anyone that has dealt with bullying as a child or in their teenage years can sustain many psychological and physiological effects, as highlighted in our previous article.
Here we detail some of these issues and examine how young people can carry them over into adulthood.
How Bullying Affects Long-Term Physical Wellbeing
The onset of physical problems from bullying may only become apparent later in life. Studies have revealed that certain issues like erratic sleeping patterns, chronic fatigue and general physiological health concerns can happen years after the bullying occurs.
One particular health concern is negative eating behaviours. Some bullying victims develop an unhealthy relationship with food which can lead to an eating disorder later on. These can range from anorexia to obesity — any of which can remain with a person throughout their adult life.
Development of Mental Health Issues in Young People
Young people that have endured a traumatic situation usually suffer from of some form of mental health condition as a result. Chronic bullying can cause a realm of these issues that seriously impact a person’s physical wellbeing.
Depending on the harm caused and severity of their experience, the mental effects can be minor and temporary, or last well into their later life — possibly worsening or advancing into a more serious mental illness.
Progression of Mental Health Issues into Adulthood
When a young person has a mental health condition there’s a chance it can escalate as they grow. A mental health professional should be consulted if symptoms persist or get worse.
If there is no access to professional help, or if someone fails to seek help for any reason, their condition will likely intensify or even develop into a critical mental disorder. An example of this is when anxiety progresses into a generalised anxiety disorder.
Mental health progressions and behaviours can include:
- Anxiety — As mentioned, anxiety leading to generalised anxiety disorder. Symptoms of GAD include feelings of dread and fear, constant worrying, lack of concentration or experiencing panic attacks.
- Substance Abuse — Those that use drugs or alcohol as a form of coping mechanism can become addicted to these substances. Rather than helping, dependence and frequent use can make present issues much worse.
- Depression — Feeling low and sad can turn into chronic or clinical depression.
- Trauma — Trauma suffered through bullying can cause extreme self-doubt and low self-esteem, leaving the person feeling totally worthless. Extreme and chronic bullying can be very distressing and may trigger PTSD in some people.
These conditions can also evolve into other mental disorders, which can be even more threatening.
Evolution of Mental Health Issues in Adulthood
Many of the conditions mentioned above can evolve into other serious mental disorders. There can sometimes be an overlap of symptoms but they are generally brought on over time.
Psychotic disorders, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are commonly linked to a history of other mental issues. People that self-harm or suffer with suicidal ideation usually got to this stage because previous trauma was not addressed or treated.
The risks of attempted suicide are high in these cases and can become a tragic reality if left untreated.
Ongoing Impact on Relationships
It is important to have people around us that we can trust and depend on. When someone is victimised and isolated they can struggle to make or keep friends.
Social withdrawal and low self-worth will make it difficult to maintain close personal relationships. They could end up leaving school without a solid, reliable friend base and miss out on fulfilling, lifelong connections.
Toxic or unhealthy relationships can exist within the family as well as with school peers. Bad past experiences could cause personality and trust issues, making it even more difficult to bond or get on with people.
The knock-on effect can also take its toll on future romantic relationships, with negative emotional wellbeing and distrust, being among the common causes.
Besides from unstable relationships, adverse traits and insecurities that manifest through bullying can also affect someone’s working life and career prospects, as we’ll see in the next section.
Negative Impact on Education and Economic Wellbeing
How bullying affects academic achievement is a major concern. Daily stress and anxiety can cause low levels of concentration and apathy, producing a negative performance at school.
Low educational attainment throughout someone’s school years generally results in low grades. Many are unable to enter further education in college or university because they lack the required qualifications.
In most circumstances, leaving school with ‘bad’, or no qualifications, impacts the potential of a desired career path and can increase the likelihood of starting life after school in a job with a low income.
They may feel they have no choice but to take any work that comes their way regardless of the wage level. Others will be unemployed and may remain that way for some time.
The ones that do land a job they enjoy and also pays well, may still be suffering mentally or struggling with the relationship issues outlined above — causing troubles or disruption during their work life.
Not being able to cope can sadly lead to ending a career they love.
In our next upcoming article we will be looking at breaking the silence about workplace bullying.
Bullying Resources
Bullying — A Complete Approach
School Workbook
Contains hints and tips for teachers, parents and young people to enable them to identify and tackle bullying.
- Published: 1999
- Last revised: 2022
- Pages: 94
Price: £5.69 Now: £2.28
Personal Safety in Cyberspace
School Workbook
This pack looks at the dangers of online grooming, malicious software, webcams, cyberbullying and scams.
- Published: 1999
- Last revised: 2023
- Pages: 73
Price: £4.19 Now: £1.68
Bullying Lesson Plans
Bullying and Cyberbullying
Lesson Plan
This lesson plan covers how to deal with bullying and cyberbullying and contains handouts for the classroom.
- Published: 2019
- Last revised: 2021
- Pages: 15
Price: £0.79 Now: £0.32
Bullying
Lesson Plan
This covers bullying, the types of bullying, the bully, the target and how to tackle bullying.
- Published: 2019
- Last revised: 2021
- Pages: 13
Price: £2.99 Now: £0.32
Playground Bullying
Lesson Plan
A lesson plan on playground bullying, the issues caused and addressing the topic.
- Published: 2022
- Pages: 17
Price: £0.79 Now: £0.32
Safety in Cyberspace
Lesson Plan
This lesson plan examines the dangers of the internet and how to stay safe on the web.
- Published: 2019
- Last revised: 2022
- Pages: 14
Price: £0.79 Now: £0.32
Social Media — The Pros and Cons
Lesson Plan
A lesson plan on social media. It goes into the benefits of social media as well as social media safety.
- Published: 2018
- Last revised: 2022
- Pages: 18
Price: £0.79 Now: £0.32
Free Bullying Resources
Anti-Bullying Policy For Schools
Free Template
A free template to help you develop your own anti-bullying policy for your school.
- Published: 2023
- Pages: 8
Free Download
Targets of Bullying
Free Resource
This free download covers what a bully is and the targets of bullying. See our resource pack 'Bullying — A Complete Approach' for a more comprehensive discussion on bullying, including worksheets, activities and lessons.
- Published: 2019
- Pages: 6
Free Download
Anti-Bullying Policy For Workplaces
Free Template
A free template to help you develop your own anti-bullying policy for your workplace.
- Published: 2023
- Pages: 8
Free Download