Familial and social support were shown to serve two very different yet highly similar roles in the lives of children and adolescents in a way that enables them to become more resilient to the negative effects of bullying, correcting and combating the emotional effects of bullying and providing greater overall self-esteem and self-confidence (Bowes et al. 2010; McGrath et al. 2009). The family support is instrumental in creating basic emotional health and reinforcement for adolescents and children, while wider informal social support provides a network of positive contacts that serve as conscious counters to bullies and bullying behavior (Bowes et al. 2010; McGrath et al. 2009). Both of these support networks are essential to overall well-being and to the combating of the negative effects of bullying, and they further suggest direct, practical and conscious ways that the effects of bullying can be mitigated.

Internal beliefs and values are also indicated as major factors in resisting, mitigating, and/or overcoming the negative effects of bullying, leading to interesting possibilities regarding the influence of social and familial support and the development of these values (Correia et al. 2009). The certain values and beliefs identified as being beneficial to avoiding negative effects on well-being brought on by bullying are also correlated with other attitudes that make bullying behavior less likely, such as engaging in riskier behaviors and increasing feelings of loneliness and hostility (Correia et al. 2009; Rivers & Noret 2008). Establishing sound foundations of self-confidence, interconnectedness rather than isolation, and a simple belief in justice can greatly reduce bullying.

Certain populations and situations have also been found to be especially at risk for the negative effects of bullying on overall short- and long-term well-being. Children and adolescents growing up in less affluent communities are more likely to suffer long-term depression and lower self-esteem, both of which are correlated with lessened degrees of success in adulthood (Due et al. 2009). Short-term effects, and possibly long-term effects, as well, are also influenced by the position of the bully, suggesting that the other fundamental power structures at work in a given...

What these studies point to is the role that perception of the bullying event plays in the shaping and influencing of overall well-being, suggesting possible further ways in which the effects of bullying on adolescent, childhood, and long-term well-being can be mitigated.
Conclusion

There are definite long- and short-term effects of bullying on well-being, including emotional disturbances, psychological issues, and decreased abilities to adapt effectively to changing social situations and to use social networks effectively. This review has provided evidence of ways that these effects can be exacerbated, and ways in which they can be mitigated, suggesting avenues for further research to more concretely and reliably determine the causes of bullying and its ill effects and the methods for combating these effects.

References

Bowes, L.; Maughan, B.; Caspi, a.; Moffitt, T. & Arsenault, L. (2010). "Families promote emotional and behavioural resilience to bullying: evidence of an environmental effect." Journal of child psychology and psychiatry 51(7), pp. 809-17.

Correia, I.; Kamble, S. & Dalbert, C. (2009). "Belief in a just world and well-being of bullies, victims and defenders: a study with Portuguese and Indian students." Anxiety, stress, and coping 22(5), pp. 497-508.

Due, P., Damsgaard, M.; Lund, R. & Holstein, B. (2009). "Is bullying equally harmful for rich and poor children?: a study of bullying and depression from age 15 to 27." European Journal of Public Health 19(5), pp. 464-9.

McGrath, B.; Brennan, M.; Dolan, P. & Barnett, R. (2009). "Adolescent well-being and supporting contexts: A comparison of adolescents in Ireland and Florida." Journal of community & applied social psychology 19(4), pp. 299-320.

Pottinger, a. & Stair, a. (2009). "Bullying of Students by Teachers and Peers and Its Effect on the Psychological Well-Being of Students in Jamaican Schools." Journal of school violence 8(4), pp. 312-27.

Rivers, I., Noret, N. (2008). "Well-Being Among Same-Sex- and Opposite-Sex-Attracted Youth…