Adult Victims of Childhood Bullying May Still Be Suffering From It Physically
If you know someone who’s been a victim of bullying, go ahead and give them a hug right now no matter how well-adjusted they may seem. Odds are, they’re suffering physical health issues because of their traumatizing past.
A new study shows high levels of a protein associated with fighting off infections in the bloodstream of people who have been bullied as children — even into early adulthood. It’s no surprise that victims of bullying can carry mental health issues through the rest of their lives, including anxiety and depression, among others. However, this study shows that issues faced by people who have been teased and tortured as children can manifest as physical problems that can follow those people around for many years after the bullying has stopped.
The study found that bullying can cause elevated levels of inflammation. In that way, the body reacts similarly to bullying as it does to an infection — by fighting it off. The specific protein found in the victims is the C-reactive protein (CRP); high levels of CRP are typically an indicator that the body is dealing with an infectious agent or responding to a chronic condition such as arthritis. One of the more interesting parts of the study is that it’s not just the bullied who had high levels of CRP — the protein was also high amongst those who had done the bullying, and bully-victims (people who had both bullied and been bullied). Among all groups of those tested — the bullied, the bullies, and the bully-victims — levels of CRP were significantly higher than among those who had had no experience with bullying.
The good news is that knowing this may assist in finding new ways of treating those with serious problems stemming from childhood bullying. The research shows bullying as a form of “toxic stress,” which occurs when a person is subjected to prolonged adversity. According to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, this “can disrupt the development of brain architecture and other organ systems, and increase the risk for stress-related disease and cognitive impairment, well into the adult years.”
The fact that the effects are so far-reaching are particularly troubling, and the hope is that studies such as this one will urge lawmakers, educators and parents alike towards acting on the problem. If you’re feeling particularly inspired for the cause, definitely check out “Bully” and pass it along to the kids in your life — future generations might thank you for it.
[Pic via Flickr - Thomas Ricker]
