The consequences of school bullying: impact on adult mental health - school bullying

"It's kids' stuff, they'll grow out of it, it'll make them stronger." These phrases, repeated for decades, are false and dangerous. School bullying does not toughen character; it breaks it. Scientific evidence shows that suffering bullying in childhood leaves neurological and psychological scars that persist for decades, affecting an adult's mental health, relationships, and working life. In this final article, we analyze the long-term impact to understand the urgency of prevention.

1. Long-term Psychological Impact

Victims of school bullying have a significantly higher risk of developing serious mental health disorders in adulthood.

• Chronic Depression and Anxiety: The feeling of constant threat over years alters the stress-response system. Many adults live with generalized anxiety, hypervigilance, and chronic low self-esteem derived from those years of humiliation.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Yes, bullying causes PTSD, similar to that of war veterans. Flashbacks when passing by a school, nightmares, avoidance of social situations, and disproportionate reactions to criticism are common symptoms.
• Suicidal Ideation: This is the most dramatic consequence. School bullying is one of the main risk factors for suicide in adolescents and young adults. The pain becomes unbearable and despair ("this will never end") sets in.

2. Social and Relational Impact

Bullying damages the ability to trust others. If your peers betrayed and attacked you during your formative years, the brain learns that "the world is a hostile place."

Socialization Difficulties: Adult victims often have trouble making friends, maintaining healthy romantic relationships, or working in teams. They may develop social phobia or isolate themselves preventively to avoid being hurt again.

Revictimization: Sadly, those who were victims at school are more likely to suffer workplace bullying (Mobbing) or abusive intimate relationships, as they have internalized the role of submission and learned helplessness.

3. What about the Adult Aggressor?

Bullying also destroys the aggressor's future. There are no winners in this story.

Criminal Trajectory: Longitudinal studies show that children who were bullies are much more likely to have a criminal record before the age of 24. They have learned that violence pays.

Domestic Violence: There is a worrying correlation between having been a school bully and perpetrating gender-based violence or family abuse in adulthood. The pattern of dominance and lack of empathy moves from the schoolyard to the home.

4. The Physical Impact (Somatization)

The body keeps the score. Prolonged toxic stress during childhood development affects the immune and cardiovascular systems.

Adult victims present higher rates of inflammatory diseases, chronic pain, digestive problems, and headaches. Emotional suffering has become physical illness.

5. The Good News: Resilience and Recovery

Although the damage is real, it is not a life sentence. With adequate support, the aftereffects can heal.

The importance of early intervention: The sooner bullying is stopped, the smaller the traumatic footprint. That is why training for teachers and families is vital. Every time a teacher detects a case and acts, they are saving the mental health of a future adult.

Therapy and Repair: Cognitive-behavioral therapy and EMDR are very effective for processing bullying trauma. Validating the victim's pain ("we believe you, it wasn't your fault") is the first step toward healing.

School bullying is a social emergency. We cannot look the other way. Training to detect and eradicate it is the best investment we can make for the future of our society.