The victim – Studies show that bullying can affect one’s mental health and leave deep emotional scars with long-term damaging effects. Here are some examples:

• Low self-esteem
• Severe depression and/or anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Difficulty trusting others
• Difficulty building new friendships or relationships
• Self-damaging behaviour, including self-harm
• Use of alcohol and drugs

The bully – Bullying behaviour is more likely to continue into adulthood if not addressed. That means that some bullies are at a higher risk of engaging in antisocial and violent behaviours as an adult. Bullies are also likely to have mental health issues. Here are some examples:

• Low self-esteem
• Depression and anxiety
• Substance use problems
• Violent and risky behaviour (e.g., drink driving, physical assault, property damage)
• Being antisocial and rude
• Family violence
• Criminal convictions
• Less likely to be employed

Bullying in the teen years has serious short- and long-term effects on both bullies and victims. Bullying needs to be taken seriously and steps must be taken to reduce the negative impact of this issue. Many people think that bullying is ‘character building’ and ‘toughens teens up’, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Bullying is a serious issue that must be tackled by everyone.