The effects of bullying and how psychotherapy can help

If you have ever experienced bullying, you will understand how profoundly it can affect your mental health and development.

Having worked with many victims of bullying, as well as personal experience of years of being at a school where bullying was rife, I have seen how, even after several decades, the trauma of bullying remains.

Victims of bullying often experience heightened anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulty forming relationships well into adulthood. The experience of bullying doesn’t only last during the actual verbal and physical interactions, but becomes internalised and haunts the victim throughout their life.

Research shows that children who endure bullying are at a significantly higher risk of developing anxiety disorders later in life.

These impacts stem from the chronic stress and fear associated with bullying experiences. A child’s developing brain becomes primed to perceive threats, leading to hypervigilance and excessive worry. 

This can interfere with healthy social and emotional development during crucial formative years.

Childhood bullying can have profound and lasting effects on a person’s psychological development and well-being. It often leads to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges that may persist into adulthood.

Bullying is characterised by repeated aggressive behaviour intended to cause harm, fear, or distress to another individual. It can take various forms, including physical, verbal, social, and cyberbullying.

Research indicates that bullying affects a significant portion of children worldwide. In the UK, studies show that approximately one in four children experience bullying at some point during their school years.

Common bullying behaviours include:

• name-calling and teasing
• physical aggression
• social exclusion
• spreading rumours
• online harassment

Psychological theories on bullying and anxiety

Several psychological theories explain the link between childhood bullying and anxiety development. Social learning theory suggests that children who experience bullying may internalise negative beliefs about themselves and their environment.

Attachment theory posits that bullying can disrupt a child’s sense of security, leading to anxious attachment styles. Cognitive theories highlight how bullying experiences can shape maladaptive thought patterns and beliefs.

Neurobiological changes resulting from chronic stress exposure during bullying episodes can alter brain structure and function. These changes may affect the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, regions responsible for emotion regulation and fear response.

Cognitive factors, including negative self-perception and distorted thinking patterns, contribute to anxiety development in bullying victims. Low self-esteem and a heightened sense of threat can perpetuate anxious thoughts and behaviours.

These theories provide frameworks for understanding the psychological mechanisms through which bullying contributes to anxiety disorders. They also inform therapeutic approaches for addressing bullying-related anxiety.

Short-term vs long-term effects

The immediate effects of bullying often include increased stress, fear, and avoidance behaviours. Children may experience physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches and may show reluctance to attend school.

Long-term consequences can be more severe and persistent. Adults who experienced childhood bullying are at higher risk for:

• generalised anxiety disorder
• social anxiety disorder
• depression
• low self-esteem
• difficulty forming relationships

Research suggests that the effects of bullying can extend into various aspects of adult life, including career prospects, forming relationships, and overall life satisfaction. Early intervention and support are crucial in mitigating these long-term impacts.

Pathways from bullying to anxiety

Repeated bullying experiences can lead to hypervigilance and an overactive stress response system. Victims may develop a constant state of alertness, anticipating potential threats in various social situations.

Social isolation resulting from bullying can impair the development of crucial social skills. This deficit may lead to increased social anxiety and difficulty forming relationships in later life.

Learned helplessness often occurs when victims feel unable to control or escape their bullying situations. This sense of powerlessness can generalise to other areas of life, fostering anxiety about various challenges and situations.

Symptoms and diagnosis of anxiety disorders

Common symptoms of anxiety disorders in bullying victims include:

• excessive worry or fear
• restlessness or feeling on edge
• difficulty concentrating
• sleep disturbances
• physical symptoms (e.g. rapid heartbeat, sweating)

Psychotherapeutic approaches for anxiety

Psychotherapy and counselling offer effective treatments for anxiety stemming from bullying. These approaches help individuals manage symptoms and develop coping strategies.

The effects of bullying can be complex and long-lasting and require a flexible approach to working with the individual. Because of the impact of bullying on the individual’s self-esteem, building the therapeutic relationship is vital to the success of the work together. The relational aspect of the therapeutic work can play a crucial role in helping the individual heal from the wounds of bullying.

Past experience with bullying can lead to difficulties in emotional regulation and a narrow ‘window of tolerance’. Early work can help an individual learn better ways to regulate as well as widen their window of tolerance. Psychotherapy can then help explore and process the traumatic experiences from the past that often haunt the victim of bullying. 

Some of the therapy will explore the negative self-beliefs that have formed as a result of experiences of bullying, leading to low self-esteem. Successful therapy will help individuals develop new, more empowering self-beliefs that will enable them to thrive in areas of their lives that were previously restricted. 

Approaches such as acceptance and commitment therapy can help with changing behaviours in the present through developing a different relationship with the unhelpful thoughts and feelings that may interfere with living a fulfilling life.

In my experience of working with many clients impacted by the serious effects of bullying, it is possible to break free from the shackles of pain and stop the bully from still maintaining their power long after the actual experiences have finished.