| What Effects Does Bullying Have On It's Victims? |
| Children can be very cruel at times. Bullying used to be considered a part of growing up - unpleasant but unavoidable. The law now recognises that bullying at school can cause immense harm and unhappiness, the same applies to workplace bullying. |
| Bullying can lead to a multitude of health problems, both physical and psychological in nature. They include - : |
| *Headaches *Nausea *Ulcers *Kidney complaints *Skin rashes *Irritable bowel syndrome *Raised blood pressure *Sleeplessness *Decrease in school attendance *Running away *Dropping of school grades |
| *Constant tiredness *Difficulty in concentrating *Angry outbursts *Loneliness *Turning to drugs or alcohol *Harming yourself *Depression *Suicide *Anxiety *Bursting into tears *Loss of confidence |
| "A child's mind is like a sponge. When a child is growing, everything around him is magnified. Adults who were bullied as kids, it has scarred them. There are still times when they feel bad." |
| It is very important that you tell someone if you are being bullied. It is a terrible thing to go through and although telling someone is very difficult it is no harder than living with the effects years afterwards. I never told anyone that I was being bullied. Throughout seven years of bullying I don't think that I ever told a soul. It has affected me so much I can't even begin to explain. I don't know if I even know the full effects it has had on me because I have never really spoken about it. |
| Some people are only mildly affected by bullying, but in the worst-case scenario, bullying can lead to severe mental health problems and even suicide. Statistics show that between 16-20 children in Britain kill themselves each year because of bullying. The number attempting suicide is far greater and is increasing all the time, because there is such reluctance to recognise it as a problem and then doing something to tackle it. |
| If you are feeling suicidal or are contemplating taking your life because of bullying please remember that it is not your fault. They are not picking on you because you are a bad person, it is because they are. You are not the only one going through it and there is plenty of support out there for you if you want it. You are worth far more than what the bullies to do you and someday they will fail. Please never give in to them and if anyone would like to talk to me, please send me an e-mail or an instant message and I will get in touch as soon as possible. Sometimes it just helps to talk to someone who understands. |
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| Even years after bullying has ended, it continues to affect people. Mainly it affects your self-esteem and confidence. The way you act around people and how you relate to them. It can also affect your mental health, you may be depressed, have trouble sleeping, you may still think about the bullying and you may have nightmares and flashbacks of it. For all these reasons and many more it is important that you talk to someone about what happened to you. If you are depressed the first step might be your GP, who then, if necessary, could refer you on to a counsellor or somebody else to help you. There are also many online support groups, which can be very useful and telephone help lines can also listen to you and give you helpful advice on what to do next. |
| Even if you told no one at the time, it's never too late to get help. It's never too late to sort out what happened to you so that it doesn't affect you. You may not even realise how it has affected you, and this is why it's even more important to tell someone about it and break the silence you have kept for too long. |
| Just always remember that if you are being bullied it is not your fault! If you feel ready you must tell someone and break this silence. |
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