Bullying has long-lasting effects on both the victims and the perpetrators. Both the bullies and the bullied develop physical and psychological harmful effects. There are short-term effects that effects of bullying and long-term effects that extend to adulthood. Different people respond differently to bullying and psychologists have found that some behaviours that people exhibit in adulthood are as a result of bullying in childhood ( Wolke & Lereya, 2015) . The essay seeks to discuss the long term effects of bullying practices. Some of the effects of bullying extend into adulthood.
Physical bullying in adolescence or childhood may cause long term physical injuries. For example, if a person sustains an injury in a bullying instance the person may suffer from such an injury into old age. Some injuries are life lasting effects. A person may be forced to take medicine for a long time from an injury that a person suffered under bullying while they were still young. Injuries cause pain and some are irreversible living to cause trouble to a bullying victim. In addition when a child is bullied while they have preexisting conditions such as stomach issues, heart conditions skin problem it may worsen the situation and its effects felt later in adulthood ( Wolke & Lereya, 2015) . Physical injuries have detrimental effects that haunt the victims for a long time.
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Children who are bullied through ways of teasing, name-calling and exclusion are at high risk of antisocial behaviour. Children who face exclusion suffer from are unable to form relations with their peers ( Ttofi, & Farrington, 2008) . Victims learn to stay alone and segregated. If the trends continue such people are unable to create a network when they grow up. These individuals will always be by alone in all their activities because they fear being rejected or segregated as they were exposed in their early age. Such people end up creating a few or no friends in society. Social phobia led to these people living a lonely life. Even at the workplace, such individuals have little time to spend with their colleges and they may end up in self-destruction.
People who are bullied or abused at an early age may become substance users. Research shows that people who suffer from low self-esteem because of abuse may result in using drugs as a way of meeting addressing the psychological problems they suffered ( Ttofi et al., 2016) . Low self-esteem leads to poor self-imagery which affect how a person related to themselves and with others. Low self-esteem hinders a person from carrying personal activities in fear of judgment from society.
People who suffer from bullying are at high risk of developing ill thoughts such as suicidal attempts, plans and thoughts ( Ttofi, & Farrington, 2008) . Because of poor self-image, and the treatment that they received at an early age. As a result of low self-esteem victims of bullying may feel that they are not worthy in the society and the only solution is to end their lives. Psychological stress increases ill thoughts.
Some may turn violent as a defence mechanism. People who are physically buried by their peers may want to get revenge in the future ( Ttofi, & Farrington, 2008) . Some of these people become violent as a way of protecting and protesting against bullying. When a habit become a behaviour these individuals may end up becoming more violent in their adulthood. It all starts as a defence mechanism and it develops to become behaviour and such individuals are accused of an abusive relationship when they become grown-ups. When such a person feel that their ego is being threatened the defensive subconscious nature is activated and they turn into brutal violence.
According to Carlisle and Rofes (2007), people who are buried as young children may develop psychological disorders such as anxiety and trauma. Continuous subjection to bullying affect the psychology of an individual and they may suffer from psychological anxiety. Bullied individuals may experience restlessness, sweating and fatigue. In addition, they may have racing thoughts or unwanted ideas. People suffering from anxiety might show irritability or hypervigilant behaviour. If these individuals continue to suffer from bullying and lack counselling they condition extends into adulthood.
Bullied persons may develop chronic depression that extends to adulthood. People who are bullied may show symptoms such as low energy, hopelessness, low self-esteem, poor concentration, lack of interest in normal activities which may be a sign of dysthymia. Bullied individuals may develop such symptoms which indicate that they are suffering from persistence depressive disorders. Kids who are subjected to bullying may become depressed and the depression may go for a long time. It may extend into adulthood which affects the quality of life a person live. Depression that is caused by bullying affects the brain thus affecting normal brain activities such as concentration and critical thinking ( Carlisle & Rofes, 2007) . Bullied individuals become stressed because of the abuse and segregation. When the bullying extended for a long time such individuals become retrieved from the society and they drown in their sorrows and anger which may end up becoming a depression.
Bullied persons develop poor mental health. Bullying victims are affected by psychosocially. According to Arseneault (2017), psychological and physical abuse affects the development of the mind. In addition, increased pressure from stress and depression increased the risk of poor mental health.
Bullying affects human personality. From childhood learning and development theories, environmental theory indicates that people are likely to become what they experience from the immediate environment. The theory may apply to people who are bullied. Children who suffer from bullying may become violent or bullies in the future or develop a fear of people ( Ttofi, & Farrington, 2008) . People respond differently to stimuli in the environment while some respond violently, others may show fear when they are bullied. These are things that the subconscious mind of a person learns from the environment. Some are hardened by bullying while others fear to bully and develop hatred for bullying.
Besides the victims, the perpetrators also suffer some psychological problems that extend into adulthood. If bullies lack behavioural change they are at high risk of engaging in spousal or child abuse. Bullies who lack proper counselling do not have a change of behaviour. Violent individuals are likely to continue with the behaviour into adulthood and may become abusive to workmates, child or even their spouses ( Carlisle & Rofes, 2007)
Bullies are at a higher risk of suffering from antisocial behaviours. Bullies end up developing poor methods of relating to others. Bullies end up being hated for their uncouth behaviours. Because of the unfriendly nature of the bullies, they develop antisocial behaviour which makes it hard to relate with the rest of the society. For example, they might be engaged in unruly behaviours in adulthood that also affect their relationships with the law.
Just like the bullied individuals, bullies are at risk of substance abuse. Childhood bullies are known for their bad behaviours. The society already knows that these individuals are ill-behaved. Research indicates that bullies ate likely to engage in substance abuse while still in school and it may extend into adulthood ( Ttofi et al., 2016) . Some engage in substance abuse because they are haunted by the guilt of ill-treating other people. It is a way of hiding the guilt while others use substances to hide bad behaviours.
Bullies are likely to be less educated and may not last long in employment ( Ttofi, & Farrington, 2008) . Young bullies spend less time on school and education and more time planning how they will bully others. Bullies also spend a lot of time at home because of their bad behaviour and thus they are suspended from school. These individuals end up being less educated compared to disciplined students. In adulthood, these adults might not last long in their place of work because of the ill behaviours that they exhibit. Employers like providing work to disciplined individuals. People who bully others at work end up losing their job.
Bullying that happens from early childhood have long term effects that extend into adulthood. Most who are subject to bullying develop lifelong challenges that affect the standard of life the victims live. Most of the effects are psychological and may become clear in adulthood. For example, people may develop an anxiety disorder, depression, fear. Consequently, these conditions may lead a person to become more violent or withdrawn from society. These individuals suffer from low-self-esteem not to mention the poor imagery. The individuals may turn into self-destructive nature such as drug abuse or abusive nature ( Ttofi et al., 2016) . Some of the physical effects of bullying on the victims may include injuries causing lasting pains. Victim of physical bullying may suffer from headaches, stomachaches and skin problems. For example, those who suffer burns which may result from fire or chemical or wounds that may result from shots may have long life scars.
References
Arseneault, L. (2017). The long ‐ term impact of bullying victimization on mental health. World Psychiatry , 16 (1), 27-28.
Carlisle, N., & Rofes, E. (2007). School bullying: Do adult survivors perceive long-term effects?. Traumatology , 13 (1), 16-26.
Ttofi, M. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2008). Bullying: Short-term and long-term effects, and the importance of defiance theory in explanation and prevention. Victims and Offenders , 3 (2-3), 289-312.
Ttofi, M. M., Farrington, D. P., Lösel, F., Crago, R. V., & Theodorakis, N. (2016). School bullying and drug use later in life: A meta-analytic investigation. School psychology quarterly , 31 (1), 8.
Wolke, D., & Lereya, S. T. (2015). Long-term effects of bullying. Archives of disease in childhood , 100 (9), 879-885.
