7 Disturbing Ways Bullying Can Affect a Person’s Life

How does bullying affect a person’s life both in the short term and long run? Sadly, in many disturbing ways. Read on to find out seven effects of bullying.

How does bullying affect a person’s life both in the short term and long run? Sadly, in many disturbing ways. Read on to find out seven effects of bullying.

Do not think that bullying is just a childhood event that will eventually fade from the minds of healthy adults because it really isn’t. Having been the object of bullying in Middle and High school, the truth is that those bullied never forget. Forgiveness is a possibility, but forgetting is not something we do. Maybe that sounds a little cynical, but the truth is sometimes.

Growing up 30 some years ago, bullying has changed greatly. It’s no longer simply putting pencil shavings in someone’s hair or stealing their lunch money it’s much, much worse nowadays. If we were to list the ways that it can affect a person, it would take a long time, so we’ve narrowed it down to just a handful of possibilities. Remember, times are changing, and people differ so if you know someone negatively affected by bullying be sure to reach out and act if you can. It can change someone’s life.

Scary Ways Bulling Affects A Person’s Life

Suicide

Believe it or not, yes, being bullied can lead to suicide–much too often as we hear in the news. Stories of teenagers committing suicide much too often because they’ve been bullied at school or online. Even adults partaking in the same act because they feel they’re useless or the world would be better off without them thanks to the many forms of bullying we see these days.

Depression

Sure, depression can lead to suicide or at least suicidal ideations, but it can also be an effect from years of bullying. Those that are depressed may not have any true thoughts of suicide, but depression from bullying is a real disease.

Withdrawal

Withdrawing from everyone, your family, your friends, any and everything can also be caused from years of being bullied. Just as with the rest of these problems, it can run your life and ruin it as well. If you notice your kids withdrawing, step in as soon as possible and talk to them about it.

Academic decreases

With kids of any age, being bullied can screw up their grades by making them feel less focused, distracted, or just plain scared to go to school. In some cases, the bullying becomes such an issue that teens feel they have no choice but to drop out to get away from it.

Violence

Unfortunately, we see this in the news far too often. According to StopBullying.gov, studies have said that 12 out of 15 school shootings that occurred in the 1990’s were by shooters that been bullied in their past. Of course, not every child who is bullied will go to those extremes, but bullying-related violence is definitely an issue in schools, whether it’s the bullying doling out the hits or a bullied kid who has just had enough.

Low Self Esteem

Bullying can often lead to low self-esteem well into a person’s adulthood. Sometimes an individual that has been bullied in the past may see themselves as ugly, fat, stupid, and more. When you’re repeatedly told that you are these things and more, being ashamed of who you are can be an easy way to hide from the rest of the world.

Loss of Trust

When you tell someone you’ve been or are being bullied and they don’t believe you, it can lead to a loss of trust not just to that person but any other person you come in contact with as well. This will often happen with a family member that you tell about your being bullied. They may think you’re making up stories just to get out of going to school or dances or even community events.

These are just some of the ways a person can be affected by bullying, there are so many that we can’t list them all here. Thankfully, in our day and age, there are tons of resources to help those individuals that are being bullied and many are anonymous for those that do not want to be known as ‘snitches’.

The one thing to keep in mind is that when and if you are ever bullied or know someone that is or has been bullied, is to make sure you let someone else know what is happening. There are tip lines and other anonymous ways that you can report that bullying that has or is occurring. Keep a lookout for any situation that could turn into a potential bullying episode, then let someone know immediately, there are numerous resources available at your fingertips. Please use them.

 

Do you have any thoughts about the affects of bullying? Let us know in the comments below.

 

12 thoughts on “7 Disturbing Ways Bullying Can Affect a Person’s Life”

  1. I was bullied alot in highschool, it really does take a toll. One person apologize but by then damage was done too much for me to care and took a really long time to heal. Please pay attention to the signs your children is going thru this and let them know they’re not alone. Much love❤

  2. Was bullied throughout middle school and high school. Since then I’ve had paranoia well into adulthood and also find myself to be a hermit. I don’t like leaving the house because it makes me feel vulnerable and unsafe. Whereas when I’m at home I feel like I’m in a safe, protected environment where I’m free to be me and have control.

    When I first learned about how I was able to take classes online for my entire bachelors degree, I jumped at the opportunity. No more having to go to class early on the first day to pick a spot in the back so I won’t have to get the anxiety of having people behind me.

  3. Cynthia Fordham

    I was bullied in 5th through 8th grade by the same girl, and others who did what she wanted to keep from being bullied themselves. In therapy, I finally connected the bullying to my acceptance of mean and abusive treatment by two partners spanning 31 years. I have finally realized that I deserve better, and have moved on. It has been a tough journey.

  4. I’ve been on Google all morning looking up “bullying.” I just wanted … some reassurance that what I’m feeling isn’t an isolated occurrence. I was bullied my entire childhood. Remarkably, by teachers as well as other kids. I managed to get through high school but then learned, once I was in “the real world,” that the bullying wouldn’t stop. Ever. Because I’m just the “wrong kind of human.” I’ve been to countless therapists, tried method after method–including the hot, new psychopharmaceuticals every few years; CBT and DBT; and various group therapies. Nothing helped because nothing stops the bullying. I’ve read studies that show there’s a strong association between the experience of bullying in childhood AND the continuance of bullying deep into adulthood. This argues, to me, that at least some of the chronic bullying is related to the way the communities of the bullied perceive and (de-) value the bully.

    I think bullying is one of the unpleasant consequences of freedom. We’re free not to care about others (or the effects of our treatment of them on them, beyond certain legal obligations) AND we’re free to dislike whomever we want. It’s a small step, for many, from not caring about/liking others and actively hurting them. And as many published studies show and many of us adult survivors of childhood bullying will confess, many of the bullies are the well-educated (so they already KNOW about how damaging bullying can be), powerful community/classroom/law enforcement/workplace leaders. These people continue to bully others in adulthood and they know how to get away with it. In a recent position I held, a director, a Princeton University PhD graduate, regularly screamed and cursed at staff members until they cried. He said he did it to shame them into being more productive. I told our CEO about it. The CEO only promoted the individual because his methods brought the company lots of money, regardless how hurtful those methods were. I doubt a Phd graduate from one of the world’s best universities and a leader in the field of international education (CEO) are unaware of the effects of workplace bullying on others’ lives. But the bullying persists.

    Despite the popular anti-bullying campaigns plastered all over social media, in schools, and even in workplace human resources departments, bullying is thriving. Why? Because people don’t have to care about any moral platform (“bullying is bad”). So long as they can do what they want to do without getting caught, many will continue to do so.

  5. this is all true i know from experience for me it happened in the 1960’s i was a skinney kid with bad allergies i will never trust anyone for life i’m very much a hermit i think humans were created in hell

  6. Thankfully we’ve only had once incident of bullying since my younger children have started elementary school. It was my oldest who is 10 and we were able to talk with her and give her the confidence to tell those in authority. The situation was handled and addressed. She is now good friends with the little girl who used to bully her. It was so difficult to see how the teasing and constant meanness impacted her but I am so proud she was able to come through it and so was the former bully.

  7. Bullying can really affect a child’s development. If they are constantly exposed to such negativity, it can change who they are. It is so important to work to end bullying and to give support to the kids that find themselves experiencing emotional lows and bad feelings from the effects of bullying. It has become such a problem and so many kids bully more because of the anonymity of the online world.

  8. I know how awful bullying can be and how much it affects someone. When my daughter was in Middle School she started withdrawing and becoming a hermit. Come to find out, she was being bullied and I had to really be careful and watch her so that she didn’t have to deal with it on her own.

  9. Jen At Dapperhouse

    I get so worried about bullying. My son is starting high school this year and every so often he tells me things that people say and I think it is out of line. They “tease” each other but it has to stick. I know that the school will offer support and education and we talk about it at home… I don’t want him on either side of bullying.

  10. Bullying is terrible and I am glad your post brings this more to light. It is such a horrible thing. As parents we should also need to find out how we can teach our children the effects of bullying and to also be alert if our child is being bullied. I also wish schools early on has social classes on this that discusses bullying, social media use, etc.

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