The 7 main psychological sequelae of bullying
These are the main after-effects of bullying that can affect mental health for years.
Bullying is one of the most difficult situations a child or adolescent can live through.. It involves rejection by the peer group at a time when the child is building the basis of identity 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 play and shared activities, or the spreading of false rumors about the victim.
As a consequence of all this, the person's emotional health, their feelings about themselves and the specific way in which they relate to others can suffer, and it can extend into adulthood.
Next we will make a detailed review of the sequels of BullyingThis is a matter of great interest nowadays due to the irruption of new technologies (Internet) and associated forms of bullying whose impact is still largely unknown to us.
The sequels of the Bullying
Bullying is a form of persistent harassment, which does not respond to identifiable causes and which generates a high degree of stress in those who live it. For this reason, is linked to the appearance of affective and behavioral problems, whose presence may whose presence can extend throughout life, although it takes on different faces in each period.
In this article we will review some of the most common sequelae of bullying, in order to facilitate its early identification, articulate the measures needed to address the situation and offer psychological help that minimizes the impact on the life of the boy or girl who suffers it.
1. Deficit in social skills
The optimal development of our social skills requires safe spaces in which we can deploy our social skills. symbolic play during childhood, or the first relationships of intimacy and confidentiality during 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 irruption of bullying limits the options available to the child to put into play the foundations of social cognition, which will later allow building basic skills to interact with others.
Under these circumstances, it is possible that they may choose to assume extreme attitudes on the continuum between passivity and aggressiveness, showing themselves to be vulnerable or belligerent in a desperate effort to protect their image or even their physical integrity.
These difficulties can precipitate a fear of rejection in adulthood, or that the situation of social interaction is perceived from a preventive reserve that resembles shyness (although it is not really). It is important to remember that the consequences of bullying transcend over the years, hindering the ability to adapt to environments other than school (work, family, etc.) and imposing "social obstacles" that may eventually require a therapeutic approach.
2. Peer group rejection
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 imprint and produces feelings of loss of control and helplessness.The bullying victims are more vulnerable to experience new situations of harassment and bullying.
Bullying victims are more vulnerable to experience new bullying situations from peers different from those who originally initiated the whole problem.by peers different from those who originally initiated the whole problem. This unfair phenomenon (extensively contrasted by Social Psychology) is due to the fact that looking for "enemies" tends to strengthen the bonds that maintain group cohesion, and those who have suffered these forms of violence are often perceived as easy targets for this purpose.
New information and communication technologies, such as cell phones or social networks, spread these aggressions to settings other than school or high school (and even university).
Abuse through any of these media can cross the boundaries of educational centers and intrude deeply into the victim's life.The number of people who are not identified as witnesses is increasing. All of this means that its harmful effects 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 the perspective of others is particularly relevant in the age period in which bullying situations are usually experienced.
Contempt or insult, as well as physical aggression and overt rejection, are perceived as a sign of inadequacy on the part of the recipient. on the part of the recipient. It is a set of messages that build an intimate sense of shame, and can even promote guilt and a permanent questioning of what we are or are worth. This doubt takes hold as time passes, conditioning self-perception and ultimately assaulting 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 the victims develop the unshakable certainty that they are not "adequate" to relate to others, considering that they will be disowned.considering that they will be repudiated before any attempt of approach and forging a special predisposition for the development of social anxiety.
4. Academic failure and refusal to go to school.
One of the first signs that something is wrong is the refusal to attend school or high school. Many of the boys and girls who suffer this type of harassment even pretend to be unwell in order to avoid attending class, simulating symptoms of a supposed illness. At other times, the expectation of going to school generates real physical sensations, compatible with intense anxiety; these include headaches, diffuse Pain or disorders of the digestive system..
Anxiety levels can lead to a decline in the cognitive resources required to meet the most demanding academic challenges. In turn, persistent absenteeism can lead to a loss of rhythm in the content taught during class, all of which is related to poor grades that prevent access to the curricular pathways desired for the future.
The loss of motivation for studies does not take long to appear.The loss of motivation for studies does not take long to appear, and there is an intense desire to leave this period of life to join a job market where things can develop differently. However, the simple change of scenery in which the daily life takes place is insufficient to satiate the emotional pain that accompanies those who had to live such an unfortunate situation, generally extending to other areas of life when an adequate treatment is not articulated.
5. Depression and anxiety
One of the most difficult after-effects of bullying is the development of mood and anxiety disorders, with major depression being particularly common. The clinical expression of this condition takes on a unique aspect in this age group, and can manifest itself in the form of irritability. For this reason, the accompanying sadness tends to be projected outwards.masquerading as a problem other than what it really is (often mistaken by the family as behavioral problems).
Beyond the social anxiety discussed above, bullying can also precipitate consistently elevated autonomic activation. Thus, the victim is persistently physiologically altered, which is a fertile breeding ground for the victim.This is a fertile ground for the first episodes of panic. This circumstance requires immediate attention, otherwise it can develop into a more complex and long-lasting disorder.
Other problems that have been consistently described in children suffering from bullying are the feeling of unwanted loneliness and isolation, as well as changes in eating and sleeping patterns. While all of the above symptoms can occur in the context of adolescent major 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-injurious behaviors. may increase the risk of self-injurious behaviors during late adolescence, especially in girls..
Most cases of self-harm are aimed at relieving stress, or communicating stress through punitive means, with few cases constituting a suicide attempt in their own right. It is estimated that people who have been bullied are five times more likely to self-harm 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 higher risk of incurring in this type of thoughts and actions is that of young people who suffer and exercise Bullying (both situations simultaneously), who also show a higher prevalence of emotional disorders. show a higher prevalence of emotional disorders (anxiety, depression, substance use and (anxiety, depression, substance abuse and domestic abuse).
An increased risk of suicidal ideation has been described in adolescent boys and girls who, in addition to being bullied, feel misunderstood at home or at school. In these cases, the concept of double victimization is used to refer to an aggravated impact for the situation of abuse, as a result of the passivity of the agencies that should watch over the child's safety, or the lack of protection of the care figures.
Bibliographical references:
- Melissa, K. Vivolo-Kantor, A., Polanin, J.R., Holland, K.M., DeGue, S., Matjasko, J.L... Reid G. (2014). Bullying and Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis. Pediatrics, 135(2), 496 - 509.
- Smith, P.K. (2016). Bullying: Definition, Types, Causes, Consequences and Intervention: Bullying. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 10(9), 519 - 553.
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)