The consequences of bullying

Being bullied can have both short-term and long-term effects on a child's psychological well-being, physical health and educational achievement. A child who is bullied is at risk of:

• Physical injury
• Depression or anxiety
• Loneliness or isolation
• Low-self esteem
• Eating disorders or self-harming behaviors
• Thoughts of suicide
• Alcohol or drug use
• Heart palpitations
• Sleep disturbance
• Frequent absences from school
• Poor performance in school
• Hostile behaviors

The impact of cyberbullying can be significant, since many people can be involved and harmful information can remain online long-term or permanently.