Bullying affects approximately 20% of children, according to a 2012 survey of 20,000 students in grades 3-12 (Bullying in U.S. Schools 2012 Status Report, published by the Hazelden Foundation 2013).
As pediatricians, we have all faced the grieving parent distraught by the ill treatment of their child. Many of us have probably felt helpless because it’s not a medical issue – or is it? I think we can all agree that it doesn’t start as a medical issue, but for sure it can end as one.
Anxiety, depression, cutting, abdominal pain, headaches, and weight loss can all be the end result of the stress of bullying. Some children are able to be honest about how they are feeling, but many internalize it and parents are sometimes the last to know. Approximately 160,000 students stay home from school everyday because of bullying, according to the National Association of School Psychologists.
Many school systems have adopted antibullying programs in which children are educated on the effects of bullying, how to treat their peers, and what to do if they are bullied. But some recent research shows that these programs may not be successful, and bullying rates are actually higher at schools that have implemented these programs, according to the Canadian Journal of School Psychology (2011;26:283-300).
One of the main differences with bullying now is that social media may play a significant role in the extent of the bullying. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are vehicles that are used by the bully and that can make the extent of the damage much worse. Twenty years ago, a rumor had to spread by word of mouth; now, with just a touch of a button, hundreds of students can see and know of the ill-intended work of a bully.
"Bullycide" is a newly coined term that suggests a child committed suicide because she was bullied. The rate of these occurrences is rising largely because of the attention placed on bullying, but the media also serves as an information trail, which allows us to connect the dots more clearly.
Intervention that we can do as professionals is to identify things that may put a student at risk and try to intervene early. Severe acne, obesity, and social anxiety are all things that can be treated to improve a child’s self-esteem and make them less of a target. Parents are not always in tune to this because their love is unconditional, and they may not recognize the role these play. Using the well-child visit to uncover these issues and offer treatment for things that may not have been brought up.
When approached by parents who are seeking help, directing them to the stopbullyingnow.gov provides a great source of information that can help parents navigate dealing with the school and helping the child deal with stress. The CyberBully Hotline is a program that schools can implement that allows parents and student to anonymously report cyberbullying. This has been shown to be extremely effective in reducing the number of fights that occur.
Parents should be educated that any threat of suicide should be taken seriously, and an immediate intervention should be taken. 800-273-TALK is the suicide hotline that parents can use if they are concerned that their child is at risk. Emergency departments are equipped with social workers who can assess if hospitalization is necessary or if a child should be followed as an outpatient.
Dr. Pearce is a pediatrician in Frankfort, Ill. E-mail her at pdnews@frontlinemedcom.com.