What are the emotional consequences of bullying?
Bullying is a big problem in schools and colleges and its effects on students’ emotions have been well-documented. Stop Bullying (2016) provides a comprehensive description of the behaviors which constitute bullying and they are many and varied. Behaviour must be aggressive, repetitive and involve an imbalance to meet the commonly accepted definition of bullying (Stop Bullying 2016). Nazir and Piskin (2015) describe types of bullying as physical, verbal, social and cyber-bullying, the latter of which is becoming more prevalent in today’s technological society. The emotional consequences for a bullying victim may be as numerous and different as the acts of bullying are.
Overt signs of emotional damage such as crying, withdrawing, sullen behaviour and obvious anxiety are relatively easy to identify but the more deep-seated emotional effects that bullying victims suffer may be more difficult to recognize. Nazir and Piskin (2015) identify the most common mental health problems exhibited by young bullying victims as: anxiety and depression, self-harming (which is often a ‘coping’ mechanism to take the focus off emotional feeling), and lack of self-esteem and self-identity. The also make the important point, as others do, that the emotional impact of bullying can affect the family of friends of the victim also.
Emotional effects of bullying can be long-lasting and re-occur long after the bullying behaviour has stopped. Adults who have been seriously bullied as children or teenagers may be more prone to depression, anxiety and even suicide later in life (Nazir and Piskin, 2015). Stop Bullying (2016) describe initial warning signs for parents and caregivers to watch out for if they suspect a child is being bullied. Things like inexplicable injuries, changes in eating habits and difficulty in sleeping are some signs. Because the emotional impact of bullying can be so devastating for a child or young person, it is critical to identify the problem as early as possible so that the matter can be dealt with and stopped.
What is meant by underage drinking? What resources would you offer to a parent whose son or daughter is planning to attend a college where underage drinking is a major problem?
Underage drinking refers to the consumption of alcoholic beverages before the legal age of entitlement. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2016) reports that in 2014, around 8.7 million youths between the ages of 12-20 years of age had drunk alcohol in the previous month. In the United States, where 21 is the usual legal age for alcohol consumption, that means underage drinking is highly prevalent.
Children going off to college are usually still too young to legally drink alcohol, yet many colleges have a strong ‘drinking culture’ which parents and caregivers need to be aware of before their child starts attendance. In order to prepare them, they need to be aware of the pressures that will almost certainly face them in terms of the increased exposure to alcohol and the likelihood they will be pressurized by peers and friends into drinking. Resources offered to parents whose children may be attending a college with underage alcohol issues need to highlight the effects of underage alcohol consumption and there are plenty of facts to explain these. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2016) sets out some alarming statistics which parents and youths should be aware of. Each year nearly 2,000 college students die from alcohol-related injuries, including vehicle crashes. The important thing to note here is that any passenger in a car with a drunk driver is also at risk, even though they may not have been drinking. Assaults and rapes on campus skyrocket when alcohol is involved. In addition to this, college grades can suffer as a result of drinking.
Parents and youths should be given plenty of resources which explain the dangers of alcohol consumption, particularly within the college-environment. In being prepared and educated about, the student may be less likely to succumb to peer pressure because they will be more aware about not only the dangers of alcohol, but the likelihood that an expensive college education could be wasted if they make poor choices about alcohol.
References
Nazir, Tehseen and Piskin, Dr Metin. (2015). School Bullying: Effecting Childs Mental Health. The International Journal of Indian Psychology. 2(4), 131-135.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2016. “Alcohol Facts and Statistics.” http://www.niaaa.nih.gov Web, April 21, 2016.
Stop Bullying. 2016. “Warning Signs.” http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/warning-signs/index.html Web, April 21, 2016.
Stop Bullying. 2016. “Bullying Definition.” http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/definition/index.html Web, April 21, 2016.
