Long Term Effects Of Bullying In Schools

“In 2013, about 22 percent of students ages 12–18 reported being bullied at school during the school year” (“Fast Facts”). Bullying is a familiar action performed by children, which often starts at a relatively young age. According to an article by Baki Duy, bullying is defined as “a student is being bullied or victimized when she or he is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students” (987). There are countless types of bullying, most of which happen in school under teacher supervision, but many people do not know the long term effects bullying has on the child.

Bullying is classified under two categories: direct and indirect. The direct forms are physical and verbal. “Physical bullying is

Teachers are the supervisor with the children throughout the school day, yet “bullying may be the most prevalent form of violence in the schools” (Duy 988). Children tend to bully more in schools because they compare themselves to others. The main goal for children is to be accepted into a group and a way to better themselves is to put others down. In a study, teachers admit they see physical bullying more, and are more likely to respond to that type of bullying than the other forms (Duy 991). However, some teachers do not respond, and because of this many children do not know who to go to when they are getting bullied. Some teachers do not respond because “students conceptualize bullying different” (Duy 989). Some teachers believe that the behavior is just how some children behave towards each other, and do not think that the action is truly hurting the child. Within the study it was found that female teachers are more sympathetic towards bullying than male teachers so they are more likely to respond (Duy 995). This is because males tend to believe that bullying will make the child tougher when they are older. It is thought that if there is more teacher involvement it would “discourage or reinforce bullying behavior” (Duy 990). Adult involvement could essentially save a life or mental state as they approach

Some of the long term symptoms include anxiety, depression, low-self-esteem, and poor social skills which leads to isolation (Arseneault et al. 718). These disorders are explained through studies of the brain, the section of the brain that is affected is the “hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which is the body's stress response system” (Vaillancourt, et al. 242). This stress response tells the body whether to fight or flight, and is triggered every time a child is bullied. The more this stimulus occurs, the more the body becomes immune to that hormone the is secreted. “Several studies have now shown that bullied children tend to produce less cortisol (the fight or flight hormone) than their non-bullied peers” (Vaillancourt et al. 243). The hormone levels have been examined in other victims who have experienced harsh treatment. “Holocaust victims and repeated rape victims have shown to secrete the same levels of cortisol as bully victims” (Vaillancourt et al. 243). The holocaust and rape are both subjects that are taken very seriously. Schools teach children the gruesome treatment the Jews went through, because we never want this event to reoccur in history. There are many support groups to help rape victims live with the event they went through. Yet bullying is not being taken as serious, and the child is left to handle their situation on their own. The older