Name-calling 'worst form of bullying'

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Name-calling 'worst form of bullying'

 

 

All bullying is traumatic and stressful, a study found

 

Name-calling is more devastating for children's

self-confidence than physical bullying, a study

suggests.

Dr Stephen Joseph, a psychologist at Warwick

University, found verbal abuse had a large and ongoing

impact on children's self-esteem.

 

The study, which assessed 331 pupils in England, found

40% had been bullied at some time.

 

It also revealed one-third of bullied children

suffered significant levels of post-traumatic stress.

 

Dr Joseph said: "This study shows bullying, and

particularly name-calling, can be degrading for

adolescents.

 

Depression

 

"Post-traumatic stress is an anxiety disorder that can

develop after exposure to a frightening event or

ordeal in which physical harm occurred or was

threatened.

 

"Research clearly suggests that it can be caused by

bullying.

 

"It is important that peer victimisation is taken

seriously as symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety and

depression are common among victims and have a

negative impact on psychological health."

 

The research paper examines the levels of

post-traumatic stress experienced and the impact of

bullying on the self-worth on victims.

 

A "victim scale" was devised to assess the experience

of physical victimisation, verbal victimisation,

social manipulation and attacks on property.

 

All types of bullying resulted in lower self-esteem,

but social manipulation, such as excluding the victim

from taking part in games, was more likely to lead to

post-traumatic stress.

 

Verbal taunts typically led to lower self-worth.

 

The study also suggests verbal bullying or social

manipulation can lead to victims feeling helpless and

lacking control over their own feelings and actions.

 

Those who felt that power and control lay with the

bully, rather than internally, were much more likely

to suffer from post-traumatic stress or lower

self-worth.