Life

Bullying and Suicide

Last Updated on February 6, 2022

Many of us, at some point during our school “career,” encountered a bully. A handful of us might actually have been the bully the rest of us had to deal with. Despite the belief that bullies are just a normal part of life, parents should pay more attention, according to a new study on the subject.

The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that students who are affected by bullying — both the bully and the bullied — are at a higher risk of depression and suicide.

I’m not that surprised to see that the victims might be at higher risk; being the target of a bully is traumatic at a young age, particularly when you are humiliated in front of your friends. But it is surprising to learn that the bullies themselves show the same risk. Apparently, they don’t derive as much pleasure at being the abuser as the victims think they do.

the authorPatrick
Patrick is a Christian with more than 30 years experience in professional writing, producing and marketing. His professional background also includes social media, reporting for broadcast television and the web, directing, videography and photography. He enjoys getting to know people over coffee and spending time with his dog.

2 Comments

  • Patrick,
    One of the things that I’ve read in the literature on the subject is that bullies tend to (note that I said “tend to” – it’s not a categorical statement) have fairly abnormal home lives, e.g. being abused themselves, having parents who fight with each other, and so on.

    So, the study isn’t surprising. Bullies don’t *like* being bullies; they do so in order to get a measure of control over their world.

  • The TeenScreen Program is a valuable tool, especially in light of the horrific statistics reported for teen suicides. On the one hand, any avenue of understanding would be helpful–even focusing on bullies and their victims. The decided lack of funding for mental healthcare, and mental health initiatives is a national disgrace, in my personal view.

    That a child would either fear for their safety at the hands of a bully, or a child would be so angrily violent as to bully another is, in one important aspect, quite different in this day and time than when we were coming along.

    In our day, bullies were not respected by anyone worthy of respect. We learned that doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reason did matter. In this current generation, the game is entirely different. Bullying takes on new perspectives in light of Columbine, etc. Children have much more anger, and much more to fear than we did. The “safety margins” between the bully and their intended victims has been reduced to a dangerously narrow point.

    That any program could be of help is a good thing. I wish them well.

    Thanks for another important, and timely post.

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