The Long-Term Effects of Bullying

Bullying is upsetting, anxiety-inducing, and challenging to deal with when it is ongoing. Several long-term effects of bullying impact an individual’s life and psyche for years afterward.

Childhood bullying, which takes place during crucial developmental years, can be particularly devastating once the victim reaches adulthood. Many people don’t realize that their emotional and psychological suffering often stems from unresolved trauma brought on by bullying. That’s why it’s essential to know all about the long-term effects of bullying.

The Mental Health Consequences of Bullying

People of all ages can be bullied by their peers, whether in school, at work, in friendship groups, or even within family dynamics. Bullying requires an imbalance of power, with the dominant party persistently and aggressively tormenting their victim through acts of verbal and/or physical aggression. Direct bullying includes things like hitting, pushing, name-calling, cyberbullying, and stealing personal belongings, whereas indirect bullying includes social exclusion, rumor-spreading, and inciting others against a victim ^[1].

Individuals endure emotional and psychological trauma after experiencing either direct or indirect bullying. When bullying is not extreme or lasts only briefly, individuals can often quickly recover from the trauma. However, many experience the long-term effects of bullying.

In the past, experts did not fully recognize childhood bullying as a potential cause of future mental health issues. However, there is now greater awareness of the psychological impact bullying can have, not just on victims, but also on those who engage in bullying. The mental health effects often appear both immediately and long after the bullying has occurred. Some of the most common mental health consequences include: 

Depression

One of the most common long-term effects of bullying is a heightened risk of depression. Victims internalize the cruel things said to them, which leads to them losing their sense of self-image and their beliefs in societal empathy, especially if nobody helped them through the bullying. They often feel ashamed of being bullied, deliberately isolate themselves from social groups, and become detached from things fundamental to their identities, such as cultural practices or ethnic heritages ^[2].

Anxiety

Anxiety is a common psychological effect of bullying. Victims live in a constant state of fear, so many victims avoid settings where they are likely to be bullied, like school. This anxiety often leads them to miss out on essential life opportunities because they’re afraid of being bullied again ^[2]. 

PTSD

Experts believe that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms accumulate after a series of traumatic events, meaning bullying can increase the risk and exacerbate the condition’s symptoms. Some common symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive memories of the traumatic event, experiencing harmful thoughts, and avoiding anything relating to the traumatic event. People who’ve experienced bullying are more susceptible to developing these symptoms, especially since they will be overly sensitive to stress and fear [3]. 

Anger Issues

Although isolated anger issues lack classification as a mental health condition, they commonly arise as a psychological consequence of bullying. Both bullies and victims are more likely to experience problems with anger than people who have no involvement with bullying. For victims, rage and aggression become self-defense tactics to protect them from further potential bullying. Anger may also fuel a desire for revenge. Bullies often victimize others because they are angry at themselves, their lives, or the world around them, so aggression becomes a part of their psychology ^[2]. 

What Are the Social and Emotional Impacts of Bullying?

People who have experienced bullying will often self-isolate in addition to being isolated by their peers. This sense of isolation leads to difficulty forming healthy relationships due to low self-esteem and increased social withdrawal.

Forming relationships with peers involves being emotionally available and vulnerable, but victims often struggle to open up after suffering in silence for so long. Being bullied by their peers causes them to expect the worst in everyone, distrust genuine acts of kindness, and even pull away from their existing friendship groups.

Being bullied often leads to social anxiety, one of its most common and devastating long-term effects. Victims become social pariahs who must distance themselves from wider peer groups to avoid further bullying.

Cyberbullying is a particularly insidious modern form of bullying precisely because it proves to victims that they aren’t safe anywhere, even online and on social media platforms. Those with peer victimization experiences come to expect mockery, aggression, and disdain from other people, so they socially withdraw to protect themselves ^[4].

Despite being the aggressors, bullies also experience adverse long-term effects of bullying. They’re more likely to exhibit signs of antisocial behavior, such as damaging property, getting into violent altercations, and being arrested. Research has also found that they frequently act impulsively and display symptoms of psychopathy, whereas victims of bullying don’t.

People who are both bullies and victims (“bully-victims” or “bully/victims”) may display depressive, impulsive, and aggressive symptoms, which trigger antisocial behaviors. As a result, both bullies and bully/victims struggle to form healthy social and romantic relationships ^[1]. 

Coping Strategies for Bullying Victims

The only way to overcome the long-term mental and emotional trauma of being bullied is to find appropriate and helpful coping strategies. When bullying is in the past, and you no longer need to deal with the bully, there is ample time to dedicate to self-care and emotional healing.

Victims must attempt to regain psychological power over their lives after being victimized by more dominant individuals, and one of the best ways to do this is to seek social support to depower the effect that bullying has over so much of a victim’s life ^[5]. 

Re-engaging in social situations where victims feel safe can help them overcome their feelings of social anxiety and withdrawal. That’s why support groups are such a good coping strategy for bullying victims. People with similar traumatic experiences come together to share their problems and help each other recover.

There are support groups specifically for victims of bullying, and you can find one locally through the Mental Health America Affiliate Resource Center. These groups understand the long-term effects of bullying and focus on empowering and supporting victims.

Therapy is also an excellent way to cope with the psychological effects of bullying. An experienced therapist will be able to use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to target the source of trauma and help victims change their thinking and behaviors to help them emotionally heal.

People who’ve experienced bullying can develop healthy habits to manage their trauma. Therapists may recommend techniques including journaling, role-playing, meditation, and exposure therapy to help people understand and release their feelings relating to past bullying.

Moving Forward After Bullying

Bullying can leave deep and lasting emotional scars. Victims are at higher risk of developing mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Even after the bullying stops, the psychological damage may persist, often hidden from view. That’s why early and ongoing support from family, friends, and communities is crucial. Victims frequently struggle with emotional adjustment and may underachieve academically or professionally due to lost confidence and self-worth. Peer support plays a protective role, but professional help is usually necessary to fully address the long-term impact ^[6].

Recovery is possible. No one should feel ashamed about seeking help to heal from the effects of bullying. With the right support systems in place, individuals can rebuild their lives and find strength in their experiences. Ending the cycle of bullying requires collective effort, and helping just one person recover can contribute to a broader culture of empathy and change.