The impact of bullying

Bullying always has a negative impact. It can be long-term or short-term and the impact can be physical, mental or emotional.

Your awareness of the impact of bullying will help you to understand it, address the behaviours and support the person being bullied.

Signs that a child or young person is being bullied

• Changes in behaviour such as becoming withdrawn or ill-tempered
• Scratches and bruises that are hard to explain
• Changes to social life - not seeing friends or staying away from clubs

Every child is an individual with their own personality, likes and dislikes and patterns of behaviour. If you know a child, you are the best person to spot any changes which give cause for concern - and respond supportively.

What is the Impact?

Children and young people with learning disabilities tell us that they experience the same impact of bullying as their peers. These can include immediate feelings of anger, hurt and fear leading to longer term problems such as eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem.

Anticipation

Because so many children with learning disabilities are bullied, it is common for them to feel ‘anticipation’ – a sense of fear and anxiety about being bullied. Some children and young people feel apprehensive about new people and situations because they are of being bullied. This can make them feel helpless and erodes their confidence. 40% of children with learning disabilities say they stay away from the places where they have been bullied. Bullying is not inevitable and there should not be "no-go areas" for children with learning disabilities.This makes it even more important for young people to feel that adults will respond to bullying when it happens.

Adult responses

It can be devastating to learn that a young person who you are close to is being bullied. However, well-intentioned over-protective behaviour can often make things worse. Some young people lose their freedom, or are not allowed to take risks. Adults need to take steps to deal with the bullying, not keep young people away from situations where bullying could happen. This is especially true for children with learning disabilities, who often have less access to a social life than their peers.

The impact of bullying can go far beyong the individuals who are involed.