Bullying Witnesses may Suffer More than Victims
December 17th, 2009
The mental health effects of bullying have been significantly documented, but most data has been collected in terms of bullying’s impact on those who are victims of violence and other related acts. Studies focused on the potential of bullying to cause harm to witnesses have been scant, but a new effort aimed at assessing precisely these effects has recently been completed and published in the journal School Psychology Quarterly. The study found that children who said they had witnessed bullying within the recent school term were more likely to have self-reported mental health concerns than those who were bullying victims or perpetrators alone. The work may help the school counseling field develop more effective anti-bullying programs.
© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Redondo Beach Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
-
Find the Right Therapist
-
3 Comments | Click here to leave a comment.
Comments
I never thought it would have any impact on the witnesses… always thought it was only the ones at the recieving end of bullying that would have a problem.
I think this happens because in most cases a witness feels guilty for not having done anything to stop the bullying. Or he/she may be scared of being bullied him/herself… As they say, its all in the state of mind!
I have been exposed to a lot of bullying in my childhood…have been a victim and a witness, and yes,it did depress me a lot.I felt like going and kicking the bully out,but alas he was just too big for me.Thankfully for me,I have gotten over the experience and feel no awakwardness now :)
Leave a Reply
By commenting on this blog you acknowledge acceptance of this Blog's Terms and Conditions of Use.