Have you noticed that bullying remains in the news? Is your child or teen being bullied? Were you bullied as a child? No matter where or when it occurs, bullying has become an increasing presence in our society. Of course, bullying has been around as long as there have been people. Nonetheless, recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates are that for heterosexual youth, approximately 19% and 14% of heterosexual students had been bullied on school property or electronically bullied, respectively, during the 12 months before the survey. Percentages rise for LBGTQ youth. In workplaces, CareerBuilder.com, a major job search engine, found in their recent survey of over 5,600 people that one in four people is bullied at work, or 25% of the workforce. Just what is bullying? Bullying is intentional aggressive behavior designed to undermine the well-being of another person. We know that it comes in various forms to include physical, verbal, intimidation, and of late cyber-bullying, i.e. using cyberspace to intimidate others. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms have become fair game for cyber bullying, which is terrifying for both its anonymity and pervasiveness.
What are the effects of bullying? The psychological effects of chronic bullying include depression, anxiety, isolation, low self-esteem, body image issues, in some cases drug abuse, and, in extreme cases, suicide. Victims may experience changes in sleeping and eating habits, and a loss of pleasure in activities. Teens or children may not feel motivated which can lead to lower school and social performance. Poor school attendance frequently is secondary to bullying. Psychological reactions to bullying can result in increases in health complaints as well such as headaches or stomach issues.
I have written often about the effects of stress on our mental and physical well-being. In fact, I and my co-author covered many aspects of stress in our book (I Can’t Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn’t Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D. and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. For additional information about the book, authors, and stress, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com. Recent research into the brain has shown how the stress of being bullied affects the brain. Our body needs stress hormones such as epinephrine and cortisol to help us perform tasks better, improve our memory, increase heart function, and even make our body more resistant to infection. Some stress helps us perform at our very best. However, when youth suffer chronic and persistent stress such as with bullying, there are negative effects on their body and development. What are some of these brain effects of high levels of stress-induced bullying?
First, high levels of cortisol also can damage and kill neurons, especially in the hippocampal region. The hippocampus is the part of your brain responsible for consolidating information– transferring it from short-term memory to long-term memory. Damaging neurons in the hippocampus can lead to learning and memory problems that interfere with school performance. Second, there are studies indicating that those who have experienced bullying show abnormalities in their corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is a bundle of fibers that are vital to the brain because it connects the left and right sides of the brain (hemispheres). This structure is needed for cross hemisphere processing of visual, memory, and other stimuli. In those who are bullied, it has been found that the neurons in this part of the brain were impaired because they had less myelin. Myelin is an insulation coating on neurons that helps speed up signals. If there is less myelin, neuronal signals travel slower which is significant considering signals in the brain travel within milliseconds. This may be associated with cognitive deficits, impaired ability to focus, concentrate and complete tasks. Third, there are some studies showing that bullying changes levels of certain neurotransmitters such as vasopressin and serotonin. In animal studies aggression has been associated with altered levels of neurotransmitters such as vasopressin and serotonin. In humans, high levels of vasopressin are associated with increased aggression, while higher levels of serotonin are known to inhibit aggression.
The more neurological information we learn about bullying and the brain, the more people will hopefully take bullying seriously. If you or your child is experiencing any of the above negative effects, consider getting help or taking action to stop it. Standing up for yourself can save you from a possible lifetime of bad consequences. Bullying is not a rite of passage to be endured. If a young person is being bullied they should tell someone; a parent, minister, teacher, or counselor. Parents must take an active role in their child’s life and safety. If a person is a witness to a bullying event then it is their responsibility to step in whether by taking up for the victim or by getting someone in authority right away. The bystander effect (seeing bullying but being too afraid to get involved) is no excuse and can cause further future damage to the victim and the bully. Saying nothing is almost as bad as committing the bullying acts itself.
Change is always possible. Bullies and victims alike can change their behavior. Finding positive outlets for bullies and encouraging friendships for victims have been shown in some settings to assist in reducing these problem behaviors, with all their negative consequences. For lonely individuals with a propensity for becoming victims, having just one friend may be enough to protect them. Teachers and parents can help structure such relationships.
We can change our lives by what we do and by our perspective on ourselves and our lives. May you have continued good luck on your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For information on these and related issues, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com