Recent Research on Bullying
New research dispels popular myth that a bully's words will
never hurt you. Research by Dr. Stephen Joseph a
psychologist at the University of Warwick into bullying at
Secondary Schools dispels the well-known saying "Sticks
and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt
me".
Contrary to popular belief the study reveals that verbal-victimisation
has aparticular impact on the victim's feeling of
self-worth, and that name-calling can significantly reduce
self-esteem. In fact, verbal abuse can have more impact upon
victims' self-worth than physical attacks, such as punching,
or attacks on property, such as stealing or the destruction
of belongings.
The study into bullying and posttraumatic stress in
adolescents assessed 331 school pupils in England and reveals
that as many as 40% were bullied at some time during their
schooling. It suggests that one third of bullied children may
suffer from clinically significant levels of posttraumatic
stress - so rather than helping to toughen up school pupils,
bullying could seriously affect their mental health.
The research paper entitled "Peer- Victimization and
Posttraumatic Stress in Adolescents" examines the levels
of posttraumatic stress experienced and the impact of bullying
on the self-worth of victims. Bullying is stressful and can
affect adolescents both emotionally and physically, and the
results indicate that different forms of abuse have distinct
effects on victims.
To analyze the effects of different types of aggression a
"Victim Scale" was used to assess the experience of
physical victimization, verbal victimization, social
manipulation and attacks on property. All types of bullying
result in lower self-esteem, but social manipulation, such as
excluding the victim from taking part in games, is more likely
to lead to posttraumatic stress, and verbal taunts typically
lead to lower self-worth.
The study also suggests that verbal bullying or social
manipulation can lead to victims feeling helpless and that
they lack control over their own feelings and actions. Those
who feel that power and control lie with the bully, rather
than internally, are much more likely to suffer from
posttraumatic stress or lower self-worth.
Dr. Stephen Joseph, from the University of Warwick, said:
"This study reveals that bullying and particularly name
calling can be degrading for adolescents. Posttraumatic stress
is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a
frightening event or ordeal in which physical harm occurred or
was threatened, and research clearly suggests that it can be
caused by bullying.
"It is important that peer victimization is taken
seriously as symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety and depression
are common amongst victims and have a negative impact on
psychological health."
Michael Sherman, David Britton, and Roberta Lester-Britton all specialize in working with children that have suffered from bullying.
