Many Canadian schools bring in speakers to raise awareness and try to stem bullying among students.
Photo Credit: CBC

Peer abuse scars more than parental abuse: study

Bullying by peers can have a worse effect on children than neglect or abuse by parents, according to researchers in the U.S. and U.K.  Children suffering peer abuse were more likely to suffer from mental health problems as young adults including depression, anxiety, self-harm or suicidal tendencies. Other studies have shown that victims of bullying have impaired stress responses, worse health and less workplace success later in life.

Suicides, murders linked to bullying

Several incidents of suicide and murder linked with bullying have drawn attention to the issue in Canada. Schools, politicians and police across the country have struggled to try to come to grips with the problem. There already exist measures to deal with abuse by parents, but this study suggests peer bullying is even more damaging and deserves attention and resources.

As to why bullying is so damaging, Toronto psychotherapist Candy MacNeil says, “My theory is that early formative years are the times when we’re supposed to be building our self-confidence and bullying erodes that.

‘Powerlessness…a key component of depression’

“I think also kids who are bullied understandably feel a chronic fear and anxiety. It’s hard for them to let their guard down, hard for them to relax. And that sets the scene for chronic anxiety later.

“I think also kids who are bullied know that there’s not much they can do to stop it. They have a feeling of powerlessness and powerlessness is one of the key components of depression.”

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Psychotherapist Candy MacNeil says Canada needs to cultivate ‘a culture of kindness.”

‘A culture of kindness’ needed

School authorities and parents can make victims feel worse by telling them to not be so sensitive or by characterizing bullying as a normal part of childhood interaction, says MacNeil.  While it is normal to dislike another person, she says children must be taught to still treat them with respect.

She adds that some schools approach the problem by placing bans on certain behaviours which children easily circumvent. Instead she suggests authorities and parents take a broader approach and try to instill “a culture of kindness.” She thinks, for example, that it is more effective to reward people who take a stand against bullying than to simply ban hitting in the schoolyard.

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