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Bullying: the aftermath
- Karina G.
With an increasing number of teenagers suffering from depression and anxiety, it is important to take a moment to think about why this is happening. What happened to the myth of teen years being the best of your life? Why are so many students subject to lack of self esteem and are sometimes even scared of going to school? (graphic from freepix.com)
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bullying” Growing up is always hard, but it is even worse to do so with bullies making you feel lesser than you really are. Alarmingly, one in five teens between 12 and 18 years old are the victims of bullying; whether it be physical, verbal, social or cyber, all forms of it end up destroying the morale and confidence of its victims. As Mark Zuckerberg once said, “people influence people”. Adolescents will start believing what is being said about them, creating insecurities and doubts concerning everything they do. In reality, many people do not realize how powerful words are. It is impossible to know how a person truly feels about what is being said about them, and anyone has the power to bring others down — or up, thankfully — in one way or another, even by accident. Not only can this impact the victim’s selfimage, but unhealthy habits often arise from such behaviour: someone being criticized for their weight will likely lead to them developing an eating disorder, while someone whose intelligence is being attacked can be more inclined to give up on schoolwork, convincing themselves that they cannot succeed. It’s truly heartbreaking to see adolescents depriving one another of motivation and positivity.
Mental health should never be overlooked. The manner in which people view themselves is key to feeling good and accomplished, so don’t be afraid to speak up. Reach out to someone when in need; no one is alone, even though bullies will try to make you
feel like you are.
