Bullying: Its Impact on Victims in Basic

Bullying: Its Impact on Victims

In basic terms, bullying is any kind of aggressive or inappropriate behavior whose sole purpose is to threaten, hurt, or cause some kind of discomfort to another individual. In most cases, bullies seek to utilize the power they possess to intimidate their victims. The source of this power could be a position of authority or even the physical size of a bully. To the bully, his or her aggressive behavior could be a source of thrill and/or excitement. However, to the victim, bullying could be devastating and the scars inflicted (both emotional and physical) could last a lifetime. In this text, bullying will be discussed in the school context.

To begin with, bullying could have a negative effect on the academic performance of the victim. According to Spielberger (2004), bullying affects the ability of victims to concentrate on any given task. A victim of bullying could therefore find it hard to concentrate in class. As the author further points out, bullying could also disrupt the sleeping habits of the victim. In such a case, class participation suffers. The victim's morale to attend school where the said bullying behavior takes place also drops. This increases the likelihood of the victim skipping classes or dropping out of school altogether in an attempt to avoid being bullied. All these factors conspire to bring about decreased academic achievement.

Bullying could also affect the physical well-being of the victim. The stress bullying heaps on the victim could trigger a wide range of stress related disorders. It is also important to note that in some cases, extreme cases of bullying could lead to physical injuries or even death. This is more so the case where the said bullying involves violence. Physical injuries in this case could include bruises, cuts, or even serious internal body injuries.

Next, victims of bullying experience severe emotional and psychological suffering. Effects in this case could either be long-term or short-term. In the words of Spielberger (2004), "commonly cited short-term effects of bullying to the victim include risks of diminished self-esteem and depressed mood." The victim in this case feels threatened, lonely, and unwanted. In severe cases, bullying victims could even contemplate suicide in an attempt to end their misery. In addition to the short-term effects, it is also important to note that the effects of bullying could also be long-term. Long-term effects in this case include but they are not limited to "depression, social anxiety, increased levels of aggression, lowered self-esteem…" (Spielberger, 2004). The author further points out that as a result of the trauma they experience, most victims of bullying carry the effects identified above into adulthood. This according to the author could lead to "decreased levels of societal functioning" (Spielberger, 2004).