Kids who are bullied may display negative long-term effects in physical and mental health, according to research conducted at Boston Children’s Hospital. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, surveyed 4,300 students attending public schools in Los Angeles, Houston and Birmingham, Ala.
The students completed questionnaires on whether they’d been bullied, with roughly 30% reporting some bullying by the time they’d reached seventh grade. The students also answered questions regarding mental and physical health.
Those who had never been bullied reported the greatest psychological health.
“Our research shows that long-term bullying has a severe impact on a child’s overall health, and that its negative effects can accumulate and get worse with time,” researcher Laura Bogart said in a statement.
The study’s authors also called for more bullying intervention programs, because “the sooner we stop a child from being bullied, the less likely bullying is to have a lasting, damaging effect on his or her health down the road.”
Read more: RTT
