Consequences of Bullying

Bullying is a perennial issue that can affect people at any life stage, though it is more commonly an issue for children and adolescents. While most people agree that bullying is a bad thing, not everyone appreciates its severity. Counselors are uniquely positioned to see the effects of bullying on victims, which can be both severe and long-lasting. Research has consistently shown that bullying causes stress and contributes to mental health problems. 

A persistent misconception holds that bullying is normal, even harmless, behavior. Adults may dismiss it with the common refrain kids will be kids. While this attitude may be less prevalent today, parents and teachers might still discount the severity of bullying and its consequences. Every person has a different capacity as to what they are able to ignore or work through independently, so it is important to consider not only the bullying actions, but how they are being received by the victim. 

“Bullying affects mental and physical health—all of these different things that could jeopardize their future,” says Ebonee Magee-Dorsey, PhD, NCC, NCSC, LPC. “When you start to see a change in their personality, that should be the biggest red flag ever. Where they may have been the bright, bubbly kid in class, they tend to withdraw from some of the social aspects of their life. Maybe they don't answer questions as much in class.” 

These outward signs of bullying are not only serious in themselves but may point to deeper mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.  

Research confirms the long-term impacts of bullying. A 2004 study by UCLA Health and the University of Glasgow found that childhood bullying can lead teenagers to distrust others, which in turn is associated with significant mental health problems in adulthood.  

“They never learn how to handle that conflict and so they always kind of see themselves in that victim role because it started off in school,” says Magee-Dorsey. “It can come into different aspects of their life as they grow older, they continue to see it, and sometimes they don't even recognize it because it has happened so long.” 

Bullying behavior itself may be hidden from adults, explains Magee-Dorsey: “It's rare to hear about bullying happening in the classroom face to face. Kids rather get on their electronic devices and say it on Snapchat or Instagram.”   

Further, victims often do not seek mental health support on their own.  

“We tend to see a lot of kids, especially high school kids, that went through bullying in middle school,” explains Magee-Dorsey. “And by the time they get to high school, it hit them so hard that they are depressed and they’re not seeking help.” 

This all means that teachers and parents should be aware of the signs and make efforts to help victims, not only by intervening to stop bullying, but also getting victims the mental health care they need.  

“If we don't see the signs, they’re not getting help,” says Magee-Dorsey. “Yes, they are looking to TikTok and Instagram for all the answers, and most of the time those are not the correct answers that they need.” 

Bullying can have both indirect and direct consequences for physical health as well, even when it doesn’t include physical violence. 

“I see a lot of kids now who don’t eat in front of each other,” says Magee-Doresy. “Kids do not want to go to the cafeteria and eat, but they’d rather stay in the classroom or stay back. They don’t want to get body-shamed or called names, so they don’t put themselves in those positions where that can happen.” 

Another fundamental aspect of life that bullying may disrupt is school attendance, which can have long-term academic impacts if not addressed. 

“You’re seeing more students have anxiety, more students not wanting to come to school,” says Magee-Dorsey. “Kids don’t feel safe. When they are not feeling safe, they are not feeling like they belong.” 

If adults don’t always appreciate the serious consequences of bullying, children certainly don’t without education, explains Magee-Dorsey: “Sometimes kids don’t even realize, ‘Oh wow, I could push this other kid to the limit. I’m just joking, but I didn’t realize they are not taking it as a joke. And that is really hurting them.’” 

This is why school counselors have an important role in education and prevention, explains Magee-Dorsey. 

“The key is starting early, being proactive,” she says. “As counselors of elementary and middle school kids, we need to be in the classroom talking about bullying. Kids want us to be honest with them. They kind of can call us out when we’re not being real. So as long as we’re going in and we’re doing those classroom lessons, let’s be truthful about what a bully is, the victim, bystanders, the effects of bullying. Having those conversations and sometimes doing small groups is effective. All of that preventive work needs to happen.” 
 

Dr. Ebonee Magee-Dorsey, Ed.D., NCC, NCSC, LPC is a passionate school counselor, licensed professional counselor, and educational leader with over a decade of experience serving students and families in Mississippi. She earned her undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees from Mississippi College.  

Dr. Magee-Dorsey currently serves as the CTE Counselor for the Lawrence County School District, where she leads professional learning communities for school counselors and supports comprehensive, data-informed school counseling programs across K–12 settings. A committed advocate for equity and student-centered practices, she also serves on the Board of Directors for the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the Magnolia State School Counselor Association (MSSCA), contributing to both national and state-level conversations around access, advocacy, and leadership.  

A recognized thought leader in her field, Dr. Magee-Dorsey has presented at numerous state and national conferences and has been honored as the 2022 Magnolia State School Counselor of the Year and the 2019 Mississippi Counseling Association School Counselor of the Year. She is especially passionate about culturally sustaining counseling practices, leadership development, and mentoring new professionals.**Opinions and thoughts expressed in NBCC Visions Newsletter articles belong to the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or practices of NBCC and Affiliates. 

**Opinions and thoughts expressed in NBCC Visions Newsletter articles belong to the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or practices of NBCC and Affiliates.