What is bullying? How does it affect anyone's life?

Bullying has become a serious issue in different countries of the world, especially in educational institutions. It is basically a superior or stronger person trying to intimidate the weaker one. Bullying in any form like ragging, verbal abuse, etc. can lead to dangerous effects on a person. Bullying is considered by some people as fun and entertainment but can make a person’s life miserable and can lead to life-threatening effects.

Some of the detrimental effects of bullying are −

Psychological Effects

Bullying develops a strong inferiority complex in the mind of a person. It affects cognitive development. The impact can be more delicate in the case of HSPs i.e. Highly Sensitive People. The person can go into depression because of the repeated instances. Especially for students, bullying tends to lower concentration rate in learning process affecting the academic achievement. Depression makes the person feel tired and exhausted all the time. There is also a chance that the person who is bullied in the younger age can bully others once grown up as a mature adult.

Social Effects

The effects of bullying on the person can include social isolation and strain in social relationships. The person feels that s/he is not capable of being a part of any social groups. Thus, the person tends to stay away from his family as well as the friend circle. This tends to make her/him lonelier and more prone to depression and anxiety.

The interaction patterns of the person start dwindling as the person likes to be self-centric. There is also a certain amount of fear that is developed around the person being bullied because they know they could be the next target. There is also constant guilt of not being able to act upon bullying in their institution.

Physical Effects

The person tends to have issues with cardio-vascular immunity, fluctuating blood pressure, loss of appetite, etc. Bullying affects the regular cycle of health in a person. The sleeping patterns are also in extreme swings. The person either sleeps excessively or become a victim of insomnia. Due to these patterns, the person can attempt to commit suicide or hurt themselves through violent behavior.