#AntiBullyingWeek
We did not want to finish the week without reflecting on Anti-bullying awareness.
This week, from the 11th to the 15th of November, has been the Anti-Bullying Week. The focus this year has been: Choose Respect.
Numbers say that at least one child in each classroom is being bullied every day, which means that one in three children report having been bullied at some point in their lives, and 10–14% experience chronic bullying lasting for more than 6 months. Between 2% and 5% are bullies and a similar number are bully/victims in childhood/adolescence.
Nowadays, this is a massive problem in schools, and it scarily happens in every single school. It is in the hands of all of us to make this change.
Bullying highly influences the child’s development. Self-esteem, emotional well-being and mental health are affected in general (experiencing feelings of sadness, isolation, depression, anxiety, etc., and it can also be a risk factor for youth suicide). Physical health can also be affected (sleep difficulties, physical illness, psychosomatic diseases, eating disorders). All of this can lead to poor outcomes in participation, academic performance and social life.
Being bullied generates trauma. Bullying is considered as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). ACEs are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on a person’s development, the way they interact with others, and how they perform in school.
This situation brings stress, a high level of arousal, and an unsafe feeling to the person… which, maintained for a long time, has negative health effects on the person.
Let’s all be informed and find solutions when we notice a bullying situation.
If you would like to know more about this and even download free resources, please visit the following link:
Anti-bullying Alliance
References:
Wolke D, Lereya ST. Long-term effects of bullying. Arch Dis Child. 2015 Sep;100(9):879-85. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2014-306667. Epub 2015 Feb 10. PMID: 25670406; PMCID: PMC4552909.
Trompeter N, Testa A, Raney JH, Jackson DB, Al-Shoaibi AAA, Ganson KT, Shao IY, Nagata JM. The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Bullying Victimization, and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among Early Adolescents: Examining Cumulative and Interactive Associations. J Youth Adolesc. 2024 Mar;53(3):744-752. doi: 10.1007/s10964-023-01907-2. Epub 2023 Dec 8. PMID: 38066316; PMCID: PMC10838217.