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Telling a bullying victim that their tormentor was suffering twice as much, while making their life unbearable, seems like an incredulous idea, but it is true. The real source of the aggression bullies unleash upon their victims, originates from what is happening in their own lives.
In no way is this a justification for bullying, but it is a lesson for parents, teachers and school administrators to take stock of. Expelling perpetrators from school as consequences of bullying only serves short term goals, exploring the real reasons behind a teen’s cruelty may bring forth a more lasting and productive solution. In some cases bullies can even go on to become criminals.
In another research, boys who had been bullies at age 14 were monitored till they were age 18 and then till they were 32, covering a span of 18 years.
Another interesting fact uncovered by these researches was that the reaction to bullying and bullies is different in both genders. Male victims and perpetrators both experienced a greater risk of becoming suicidal; female were at a greater risk of developing agoraphobia and becoming anti-social.
The fact that mental and emotional health was greatly disturbed even after decades of the ordeal being over, proves that both victim and perpetrator went through a hard time dealing with their issues. According to lead author William E. Copeland, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University; psychological damage doesn’t disappear as soon as the issue does, the affects of bullying and being bullied are long term and stay with people for a very long time.
If you have even the slightest doubt that your teen might be bullying other kids, then it is important that you do something about it. Teens who are not held accountable for bullying, end up accepting aggression as a natural part of their lives. In later lives they may take it out on their own families and keep the cycle of bullying going on through their own kids.