Bullying

Bullying in childhood and adolescence: we need to do better

• [Bullying] has been associated with depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, eating difficulties and self-harm as well as with suicide.
• In schools, classroom management and social structure are associated with substantial differences in the level of reported bullying (Roland and Galloway, 2002) while interventions that involve whole-school approaches are more effective than curriculum-based interventions or behavioural and social skills training (Vreeman and Carroll, 2007).
• Arsenault demonstrates that the experience of bullying is strongly and prospectively associated with both psychological distress and clinical impairment among many, but not all, victims, even after adjusting for pre-existing poor mental health (Arsenault, 2006; Wolke and Lereya, 2015; Kim et al, 2006; Stapinski et al 2014; Zwierzynska et al 2013). Symptoms of anxiety and/or depression are common, but bullying is also linked to psychotic experiences (see review by Cunningham et al 2016). Arsenault cogently argues that demonstrating this link is important, because prevention and intervention will only be cost-effective if bullying is a cause rather than a result of poor mental health.