Bullying as a Health Issue: Effects on Children, Adolescents, and Families

This essay discusses the impact of bullying on children, adolescents, and families. It highlights the therapeutic responses to the affected children, adolescent and families. Lastly, the essay will reflect on family-centred care and its importance in preventing illness.

Running head: BULLYING
BULLYING
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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Introduction
Bullying is regarded as the hurtful behaviour by the person who can be physical, verbal
or relational. It adversely affects the psychology of the person which result in health illness
(Patterson, Allan & Cross, 2017). Therefore, the main of the essay to address the concept of
bullying and victim as a health issue by discussing its effects. Firstly, the essay discusses the
impact of bullying in children, adolescents and families. Secondly, it highlights the therapeutic
responses to the affected children, adolescent and families. Lastly, the essay will reflect on
family-centred care and its importance in preventing illness.
Peer victimization is a destructive form of interaction where the children become the
target of verbal and physical attacks from the peer. Bullies of the school-going children are the
universal issue which is known to be the severe risk to the emotional and physical health of the
children and adolescent (Frey & Strong, 2018). Bully victim children and adolescent have a
direct impact on the mental health, which is known to harm the person physically as well. It
affects the children in their emotional and social development. It is linked with their poor school
performance that affects the future of the children. Among the children/adolescent who
undergoes the incidence of bullying, experience mental illness such as depression, anxiety,
sadness and loneliness. According to the research by Van Noorden et al. (2015), author found
that children tend to lose interest in their daily activities that they enjoyed to do. Wolke and
Lereya (2015) have done analysing on the effect of bullying in school going children and
adolescents. The author concluded from his finding that both of them have similar consequences.
They tend to suffer from a sleep disorder, skip their food and notice change in eating habits.
Adolescent and children exclude themselves socially as fear of threat of people emerged due to
bullying.

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As for the family, bullying also poses an adverse effect on them. It is reported from the
study that parents develop physical illness when they become familiar with the bullying of their
child. The author has indicated that when children undergo emotional distress due to aggressive
and violence from friends, parents also suffer from anxiety and become obsessive (Hebron,
Oldfield & Humphrey, 2017). Out of this, they create a limiting environment for their child.
They become insecure for their child, and it is also reported that some families become such
suspicions in strict manner that make them less expressive about their emotions.
There is the need to give therapeutic help to the children/adolescent and families so that
they can overcome by unstable state of mind. According to the study of Cross et al. (2018), it can
be said that by the implementation of psychotherapy along with effective medication, helps the
children/adolescent to recover from their depression and anxiety. Efforts are being made in
giving therapeutic assistance to the victim of bullies by the action of tailoring therapy. Its focuses
on the situation of the children and their medical history. It is evident that children/adolescent
gives a positive response to these therapies and accelerate their socialization. As a therapeutic
response, affected children/adolescent develops a new insight towards life and starts to live a
healthy life. However, Byers, Mishna and Solo (2019) have indicated that for some of the
children, it is difficult for them to get over the issue. CBT can prove to be useful in making them
realize actual value of life and rebuild their self-esteem. For the family, as the mean of
therapeutic response, psychotherapy and counselling are effective, which teaches the parents and
families to deal with the situation. It encourages them to motivate their children and help them to
cope with the situation. It is reported by Voerman et al. (2015) that for the families who children
and adolescent are affected because of bullying, it is essential for them to receive individual
therapy, involved in group discussion and gets family counselling. It will aid the families to help

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themselves as well as allow them to take part in session of child therapy and acknowledge
strategies to overcome the issue.
The major role played to help the affected the children/adolescent can be effective
through families centred care. It makes the involvement of professionals and family member to
give the best assistance to the child. It provides high importance to the family member and
regards it as the primary caregiver to their child. According to Cassett, Sanders and Bruce (2019)
in family’s centred care, the families are being taught about their childcare and need. Thus, it is
essential to promote the child and adolescent health and development, thus preventing the illness.
It helps the families to take a better decision for their child and build a strong alliance between
them. It is beneficial for the families as they will acknowledge the correct care plan that is
supposed to be given for betterment of their child (Coyne, Hallström & Söderbäck, 2016).
The health care professional gives effective education to the family member related to
way by which they can make their child active for positive health outcome. By families’ centred
care, parents are allowed to be present with their child during therapeutic procedure to make
them knowledgeable about the condition of their child. Through this, they can help their child to
overcome the psychological state because of bullies (Manning, Redsell & Latour, 2016).
Professionals involve family member in discussion about the health issue to share health-related
information so that they can better help them. Thus, families centred care promotes the
involvement of families member in consideration of the child with the objective for developing
the health of the child and prevent health illness.
Lastly, from the above discussion, it can be said that bullying is becoming one of the
common of mental illness among children and adolescents. It has disturbed the psychology of the
victim person, which has caused depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and low confidence.

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Along with the children, families member also undergo mental instability. The government
should take action on such anti-social activities. The law should be strict enough that no one can
encourage the practice of bullying. The school and college should also take action against the
offender to prevent the prevailing adverse effect of bullying in a growing generation.

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Reference
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Involved in Bullying and Cyberbullying: Gleaning Guidelines from the
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