Childhood bullying could affect job, health, and relationships in adult life, according to a new study.
"We cannot continue to dismiss bullying as a harmless, almost inevitable, part of growing up. We need to change this mindset and acknowledge this as a serious problem for both the individual and the country as a whole; the effects are long-lasting and significant," Professor Dieter Wolke of the University of Warwick , who participated in the study, said, a Warwick University press release reported.
The researchers analyzed 1,420 subjects between the ages of nine and 16, and followed them until they were ages 24 to 26.
Victims of bullying were six times more likely to "be diagnosed with a serious illness, smoke regularly or develop a psychiatric disorder."
The study also found children who were bullied were more likely to bully others themselves.
"In the case of bully-victims, it shows how bullying can spread when left untreated. Some interventions are already available in schools but new tools are needed to help health professionals to identify, monitor and deal with the ill-effects of bullying. The challenge we face now is committing the time and resource to these interventions to try and put an end to bullying," Wolke said.
Those who had been bullied were less likely to be able to hold a steady job, and more likely to suffer financial woes.
The children who had done the bullying did not appear to suffer any negative effects in adulthood, although their actions often stemmed from psychological disorders and problems at home which can lead to long-term consequences.
"Bullies appear to be children with a prevailing antisocial tendency who know how to get under the skin of others, with bully-victims taking the role of their helpers," Professor Wolke, said. "It is important to finds ways of removing the need for these children to bully others and in doing so; protect the many children suffering at the hand of bullies as they are the ones who are hindered later in life."
