Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. Bullying has often been thought of as kids being kids, but it is not always innocent teasing. Kids who are bullied often feel extreme stress since they have to face the bully every day, and this leads to poor academic performance of even physical illness. In severe cases of bullying, there are instances where students have committed suicide because they can no longer face the bully. Bullying can turn a vibrant and friendly child into a depressed, withdrawn, unhappy one. Some children who are bullied have even turned to violence to resolve their problems.
Those who have been bullied will tend to develop Anthropophobia, which is the fear of people or social settings. Victims tend to become aggressive around people who act in a way that sparks fear of being hit or taunted leading to legal trouble or psychological trouble if not treated by therapy and sometimes medication.
The most common diagnosis for those who are bullied is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. However, there is a second diagnosis which is becoming more prevalent in cases today which is Depression. Depression is a feeling of self worthlessness that lasts for long periods of time. During the manic stages of depression, people may seclude themselves from friends, family, and social events, they may refuse to eat, or over eat, and they may make threats or attempts to commit suicide.