And I think too often our society sort of...well...took it for granted. People sometimes suggested that this kind of thing--often softened by just referring to it as "teasing"--was sort of inevitable; it was a rite of passage; it was just part of life; people who did it couldn't help it, they were just young; people have to be able to "take it"; just ignore it and it will go away; etc. But it's that kind of thinking that can eventually lead to Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito scenarios. And furthermore, new research continuously shows--bullying is not good for its recipients' health. Read on about the latest bullying update:
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Kids who are victims of bullying
have worse mental and physical health, more symptoms of depression and
lower self-worth — and the effect seems to get worse as time goes on,
according to new research.
Previous
research has shown that bullying can lead to health problems, and the
study in Monday's Pediatrics demonstrated that the effects of bullying
can actually snowball over time.
The
researchers followed 4,297 children in Los Angeles, Birmingham, and
Houston at three points: fifth, seventh, and 10th grades. The kids were
asked about bullying and also completed questionnaires designed to look
for symptoms of depression, low self-esteem and poor physical health.
Those
who were being bullied had high levels of depressive symptoms, low
self-worth and more problems with basic physical activity. And the
longer the bullying went on, the worse the problem was. For example,
10th graders who were being bullied reported problems, but the worst
problems were reported by kids who experienced bullying in fifth and
seventh grades, too. Almost half of these continuously bullied kids had
poor psychological health — seven times more than kids who had never
been bullied.
"We're seeing that
the effects of bullying get worse over time," said Dr. Laura Bogart, a
social psychologist in the Division of General Pediatrics at Boston
Children's Hospital and lead author on the study. "This gives more
evidence that it's important to intervene early."
So
what should parents do to protect their kids? Talk to them and know the
signs of bullying, suggests Dr. Bogart. Unexplained cuts and bruises or
signs of troubled mental health — unexplained anxiety, or a child who
suddenly doesn't want to go to school — are all red flags.
Simple questions for the child like "how was your day at school?" can help assess if a child is having issues.
"Hopefully [parents and other adults] can step in and stop some of these bad effects of bullying before they happen," she said.
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