The effects of bullying can be long-lasting for victims including fear and anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide.
But the effects don't have to be long-lasting if the victim is empowered!
Some people say that kids who are bullied need to toughen up ... that's not true. It would happen no matter how thick-skinned kids are.
Some people think that bullying is "just a fact of life" or "a right of passage" and they don't take it seriously ... until someone they know is hurt by bullying.
- 1 out of 5 kids are bullied [1]
- 32% of students say they have been digitally harassed
- 5.4 million students skip school every day due to bullying [2]
- 9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school [3]
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Child and teen Bullying and Cyberbullying are both a growing problem.
- Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them. However most suicides are not just a result of bullying. There are usually other factors involved.
- It can mess up a kid's future. Bullies are more likely to skip school, drop out of school, smoke, drink alcohol, get into fights and be arrested at some point in their life. 60% of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24.
- Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.
- A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.
Victims of bullying can experience:
- Can be afraid to go to school
- Can be afraid to ride the bus
- Can be afraid to use the school bathroom
- Can be afraid of being alone in the school hallway
The fear and anxiety caused by being a bullying victim can make it difficult to focus at school.
Bullying can cause victims to experience:
- Fear
- Depression
- Loneliness
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Physical illness
- Suicidal thoughts.
Some kids are so tormented by their bullies that they actually choose suicide as alternative to their pain ... which should NEVER be an option. Kids need to know that NOTHING is bad enough to take their own life.
Use Our HelpChat Crisis Line
If you are being bullied, and need help right now, visit our HelpChat Crisis Line. You are not alone! We are here to help.
[1] The CDC, Preventing Youth Violence, 2017
[2] The Cyberbullying Research Center
[3] GLSEN
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