Bullying Victims May Experience Extreme Reactions, Study Finds
Bullying is present in the lives of many children and adolescents, especially at school age. It is a phase of great pain and anguish, which can mark a person for the rest of their life. There are countless ways to react to this type of aggression. Anyone who is bullied can close themselves off, go into a depressive state, and develop some type of disorder. However, there are those who react differently, developing feelings of hatred, revenge or even suicide. The big challenge is to understand why different people who suffer from bullying react so differently to this moral harassment.
Psychologist and professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP) at USP Sérgio Kodato explains that people take out their anger and sadness on others because they are more vulnerable. “These are people in situations of vulnerability, fragility and negative self-esteem, who are unable to react to these aggressive events and, thus, increase a feeling of incapacity. They think there must be something wrong with them to suffer this type of violence.”
Kodato explains that victims can even talk to their parents and the management of the school they study at, however, with the lack of action to stop these attacks or even out of fear of talking to anyone, many seek to take justice into their own hands. “What affects the most is the fact that other people see these attacks and do not help the victim, even taking a stand against the attack.”
The teacher highlights that many victims have a reaction of anger and revenge because they have this characteristic in them or because they have been through a traumatic event, and not because of the intensity of the bullying. “Victims of bullying may have traits of psychopathy, aggression, mental health problems, may have suffered violence, rejection or abuse in childhood and these people may feel that they deserve this type of aggression or that they came into the world predestined to suffer.”
The psychologist states that victims with low self-esteem, in most cases, swallow all violence suffered and that the frequency of this aggression can lead the victim to a process of self-mutilation. “The pain of cutting is greater than the pain of rejection, so it seems to serve as a kind of anesthetic. It is a maximum degree of anguish and a total absence of support, whether from friends or family, which ends up leading, in desperation, to this drastic attitude.”
Kodato explains the signs that victims can give before committing suicide or massacres. “Firstly, a change in habits, whether in terms of clothing, frequenting certain places, neglecting self-care or playing violent video games.”
He adds that people with depression or acts of massacre tend to have more dangerous signs. “In relation to the serial killer, they begin to acquire weapons and ammunition, stock these weapons at home and thus effectively begin to prepare for revenge. Those prone to suicide can prepare for the act in different ways and all of this can also be indicative of an increase in the use of drugs, alcohol and other illicit substances.”
Finally, the psychologist explains what should be done if victims show these signs. “In the face of any signs of violent action, the school must first look for the individual who is preparing for it, secondly, call the parents and, thirdly, seek to create a support network around that person to prevent the commission of acts violent.” For the teacher, parents play a fundamental role in this process. They should always talk to their children and investigate whether or not they are suffering from bullying. “Parents must always be aware, because bullying often causes silent suffering in their children,” he concludes.
Prevention in schools
The teacher adds information that can help schools prevent possible massacres, with tutor teachers in each room, to observe the quietest and most depressed students, mechanisms for reporting and resolving conflict situations, which can be done by ballot box, anonymously, so that the victim does not suffer any type of retaliation.
The psychologist adds. “ The school can adopt a strategy that has general training for parents, students, staff and teachers to prevent bullying, as well as channels for mediation, negotiation and resolution of this problem. The school would have to take bullying as a serious problem. ”