The Accumulating Effects of Bullying

Today I will be discussing a recent bullying article released by Reuters.com. The article is titled “Effects of bullying may add up in kids: study” and was written by Andrew M. Seaman. An important aspect of bullying discussed within the article is the recently implied discovery that the effects of bullying may accumulate throughout the years. In addition, the article discusses the important role adults, especially parents, can play in diminishing bullying.

 The article states that the according to a new study, “the negative physical and mental effects tied to bullying among children and teens may accumulate throughout the years”. In fact, researchers have found that “teens who had been bullied in the past and those currently being bullied tended to have a lower quality of life, compared to those who were bullied less or not at all.” According to the article, researchers analyzed data from the Healthy Passages study which “surveyed students in Alabama, California and Texas about how much bullying they experienced and evaluated their physical and mental health.” Researchers decided to analyze this data after realizing that few studies “have examined whether the possible effects of bullying accumulate over the years.” Overall, 4,297 students completed the surveys, offered by the Healthy Passages study, during the fifth, seventh, and tenth grades. Upon analysis researchers made the following discoveries:

·         “About a third of the students had been regularly bullied at some point during the course of the study.”

·         “Generally, those who had been bullied in the past scored better on measures of physical and mental health, compared to those who were currently being bullied. Teens who were bullied throughout their school career scored the worst.”

o   “About 7% of 10th grade students who had never been bullied scored low on mental health measures […] compared to 12 % [for students] who had been bullied in the past, 31 % [for students] who were currently being bullied and almost 45% [for students]who underwent persistent bullying.”

§  According to the article, “poor mental health included traits such as being sad, afraid and angry.”

o   “About 8% of 10th grade students who were never bullied had poor physical health, compared to 12% of those who were bullied in the past, 26% who were currently being bullied and 22% who were continuously bullied.”

§  According to the article, “poor physical health included limitations [such as] not being able to walk far and not being able to pick up heavy objects.”

An important realization I made upon reading this article is the possible deep extent of the effects of bullying. Unlike most physical injuries which go away with the passage of time, the effects of bullying seem to fade but never fully go away. The Healthy Passages study suggests that the negative effects of bullying can hinder a person long after the bullying ceases. It seems that researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of attending this social issue and diminishing its occurrence.

Towards the end of the article, Laura Bogart, a doctor at Boston Children's Hospital, stated that “any adult that has any contact with children . . . (should) know what the signs of bullying might be." According to Bogart the signs of bullying can be physical, but that is not always the case. For example, a non-physical sign of bullying that can be presented by a young child is the resistance towards attending school.  In addition, Bogart believes “it's important for parents to know if their child falls into one of the groups at high risk for bullying,” which includes children with physical disabilities, overweight and obese children, and children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning.

The comments made by Laura Bogart reiterate many statements made in previous blogs. For example, Dr. Bogart seems to suggest that it is possible that adults, including parents, are failing to realize and accept the existence of the issue of bullying. In fact, Dr. Bogart seems to cry out to parents to take an active role in diminishing bullying, by paying attention to their children and realizing if they are being bullied. Dr. Bogart seems to realize that with the passage of time bullying is transforming and no longer implicates physical abuse. In fact, Dr. Bogart adequately advises parents to keep an eye on their children’s emotional state, and changes in mood and behavior. As technology advances it is becoming increasingly easier for bullies to conduct online-bullying through the internet and social media. However, it is becoming increasingly harder for parents, teachers, and adults in general to recognize and realize when bullying occurs.