Bullying Causes Emotional Damage:
The wound that bullying victims suffer is damage to their self-concepts and to their identities. Bullying is an attempt to give a person fear and self-loathing. Being the repetitive target of bullying damages the victims ability to view them-self as a desirable, capable and effective individual.
In the short term:
• Anger
• Depression
• Anxious avoidance of settings in which bullying may occur.
• Greater incidence of illness
• Lower grades than non-bullied peers
• Suicidal thoughts and feelings
In the long term:
• Reduced occupational opportunities
• Lingering feelings of anger or desire for revenge.
• Difficulty trusting people
• Fear and avoidance of new social situations
• Increased tendency to be a loner
• Perception of self as easy to victimize, overly sensitive, and thin-skinned
• Self-esteem problems
