Bullying : A Cause of Depression and Anxiety

 

What is bullying?

Bullying can happen at school, at home or online. It is never okay and it is not a normal part of growing up.

Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.

Bullying can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time (for example, through sharing of digital records).

Bullying of any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying.

Four Types of bullying behaviour

There are three four main types of bullying behaviour:

• physical – examples include: hitting, pushing, shoving or intimidating or otherwise physically hurting another person, damaging or stealing their belongings. It includes threats of violence.

• verbal/written – examples include: name-calling or insulting someone about an attribute, quality or personal characteristic.
  
  
  

• social (sometimes called relational or emotional bullying) – examples include: deliberately excluding someone, spreading rumours, sharing information that will have a harmful effect on the other person and/or damaging a person’s social reputation or social acceptance.
  

• cyberbullying – any form of bullying behaviour that occurs online or via a mobile device. It can be verbal or written, and can include threats of violence as well as images, videos and/or audio. For more information, refer to Cyberbullying.    

• Bullying and Depression

  Bullying and depression are often related. Depression affects both bullies and their victims. Victims of cyber bullying may be at even higher risk for depression. Learn about bullying and depression and how you can help stop bullying.

  Researchers have discovered a strong link between bullying and depression. Depression is an illness that is not totally understood, and may have a variety of causes, but it is clear that it can have a relationship to bullying. Both bullies and their victims are more likely to suffer from depression than youth who are not involved in bullying. This connection can be long-lasting; people who are bullied as children are more likely to suffer from depression as an adult than children not involved in bullying.

  Depression can have a number of serious effects on a person’s life. The link between bullying and depression can also extend to other problems, like:

  §  Low self esteem

  §  Anxiety

  §  High rates of school absence

  §  Physical illness

  Teens who commit suicide often suffer from depression. Experts hesitate to say that bullying is a direct cause of suicide, but it may be a factor in a teen’s depression.

. Some signs of depression can include: 

There are some signs of depression :-

        §  Long lasting sadness or irritability, including unexplained outbursts of crying or anger

§  Sudden loss of interest in activities the person usually enjoys

§  Withdrawal from others

§  Changes in sleep patterns, either sleeping a lot or not being able to sleep

§  Sudden changes in appetite or eating habits

§  Always feeling tired or slow

§  Being restless, anxious, or worried

§  Not being able to concentrate or think clearly

§  Feeling worthless, guilty, helpless, or hopeless

§  Aches and pains with no obvious physical cause

§  Thinking or talking about death or suicide, such as saying that the world would be better without them or that they wish that they were dead.

      

The Connection Between Bullying and Anxiety Disorders

 

There is nothing easy about bullying. In fact, it can be a traumatic experience for teens who are targeted. The pain and distress victims experience impacts almost every aspect of their lives leaving them feeling lonely, isolated, vulnerable, and anxious. What’s more, these consequences of bullying linger long after the bully has moved on to another target.

 No one would argue that victims of bullying are subjected to stressful situations. Whether they are threatened, cyberbullied, or experience name-calling, these types of bullying have a lasting impact. And after prolonged exposure, victims of bullying can develop adverse reactions. Some victims of bullying will experience depression, eating disorders and even thoughts of suicide. But, they also can develop anxiety disorders.

Anxiety Disorders Among Bullied Teens

The top four anxiety disorders that victims of bullying can experience include post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and social anxiety disorder.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD occurs after a traumatic or life-threatening event, like being in a severe car accident or losing a close relative. It also can show up after repeated abuse or bullying. Kids with PTSD might experience flashbacks, have nightmares, startle easily and withdraw from others.¹

If the bullying your child experienced was particularly abusive and continued for a long time, there is an increased chance that he could develop PTSD.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Kids with generalized anxiety disorder are often plagued with worries and fears that distract them from their day-to-day activities.² For instance, they might complain that they have this persistent feeling that something bad is going to happen.

To outsiders, people with GAD seem like chronic worriers but there are some physical symptoms as well. These include insomnia, stomachaches, restlessness, and fatigue. It is not uncommon for victims of bullying to worry or even expect that something bad is going to happen. After all, something bad did happen to them when they were being bullied.

Consequently, this repeated stress can filter over into other areas of their life and become a generalized anxiety disorder.

Panic Attacks

People who suffer from a panic disorder must deal with unexpected and repeated panic attacks.² During an attack, they experience feelings of terror that strike suddenly without warning. Other symptoms might include sweating, chest pain, and rapid or irregular heartbeats.

Left untreated, panic attacks can lead sufferers to avoid going out or doing things they once enjoyed. They worry that they will experience another episode. So they stay in, just in case they have another panic attack. 

Social Anxiety Disorder

When someone is afraid of being humiliated or being seen negatively by others, they may have a social anxiety disorder.² People with this disorder are plagued with self-consciousness about everyday social situations. Their fear is that others will judge them. They also worry that the way they look or act will cause others to ridicule them.

In severe cases, people with social anxiety disorder avoid social gatherings altogether. It is not surprising that victims of bullying would develop a social anxiety disorder, especially if they were repeatedly shamed or publicly humiliated. Their belief is that the embarrassment they experienced at school or at school functions will happen to them over and over again.                                              

How can we prevent bullying ?

Bullying is preventable. There are many factors that may increase or decrease the risk for perpetrating or experiencing bullying. To prevent bullying, we must understand and address the factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence.. 

Different types of violence are connected and often share root causes. Bullying is linked to other forms of violence through shared risk and protective factors. Addressing and preventing one form of violence may have an impact on preventing other forms of violence.