Mental health sequelae of bullying: a review and case report.

Abstract

This paper is a review of the effects of bullying on children and adolescents. We begin with a case report of a young male who presented at a children's hospital emergency room after being subjected to months of bullying. We then proceed to a review of relevant literature, and focus on a definition of bullying, the incidence of this problem, and the characteristics of bullies, victims and those who both bully and are bullied. The consequences of this behaviour, both for the perpetrator and victim, are also examined. We note that all individuals who participate in bullying, whether as perpetrators, victims, or those who have been both the perpetrators and the targets of this particular form of aggression, have in some way been psychologically affected by such experiences. It is hoped that the significance of bullying behaviour, and its psychological cost on the psychological well-being of the children and adolescents involved with bullying, will be a central theme of this review.