The Long Term Effects Of Bullying Essay

469 Words2 Pages

Over the years, we hear stories about young children taking their life due to the fact they were bullied and couldn’t stand being “tortured” each day, “Thirteen- year- old Kelly Yeomans of England was driven to suicide in 1997 when a group of boys subjected her relentless bullying due to her weight. Fourteen- year- old Canadian girl Dawn-Marie Wesley hung herself in 2000 after three teenage girl’s repeatedly threatened and harassed her.”, found in a database named Opposing Viewpoints. These are real stories that happened due to being bullied by other classmates. According to Mark Dombeck, doctor in philosophy, “Media reports often link bullying with suicide. However, most youth who are bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in …show more content…

Many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home, and trauma history.” He believes that when the victim isn’t supported by anyone they care for, parents or friends could be increased not to the fact that they are being bullied. In Dombeck’s article, The Long Term Effects of Bullying, published in American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress website, he refers that there are two outcomes from bullying. The first outcome is what he calls a form of a wounded self-concept where the victim learns to view themselves as less desirable, hopeless, weak, and pathetic. Creating this wounded self- concept leads to hopelessness and depression. In which depression leads to many other health factors such as suicide, developing eating disorders where this could lead to death. Dombeck’s argues that death rates are being stated under depression or another form of illness but these causes are lead from being bullied. In overall he puts it under short outcome where the victim develops depression, anger and anxious. This is where academic performance levels start to drop especially since victim avoids school and start developing suicidal thoughts. The second outcome he mentions is slowly unfolded slowly. Since depression is already developed at this point, an adult is able to detect something is going on with their