Bullying affects students of all ages. It can have a negative impact on everything from academic performance to overall health and well-being.
This post will explore the prevalence of bullying in schools, its causes, and how we can help prevent it from happening.
About one in five high school students and one in 10 middle school students report being bullied at school, according to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bullying can have a lasting impact on students’ emotional and physical health.
According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, children who are bullied have more suicidal thoughts than those who are not bullied. They also may be more likely to experience anxiety and depression, which can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A study by researchers in the United Kingdom found that students who were bullied at school had 1.5 times the risk of being overweight or obese compared with their non-bullied peers.
The study also found that bullying is associated with both absences from school and symptoms of depression for all children involved. Researchers noted that these outcomes could be linked to the fact that both bullies and victims are more likely to exhibit depression than non-bullying students.
Another finding was that absenteeism due to bullying was associated with lower grades in math and English language arts/literacy, but not science or social studies.
As the U.S. continues to progress socially and economically, we must be vigilant in our efforts to address bullying. This can include creating policies that help students understand the consequences of bullying, providing teachers with additional training on how to handle bullying situations effectively, and encouraging parents and other adults involved in schools to take an active role in preventing bullying on campus.
