When I make a presentation focusing on long term psychological impact of bullying, based on my first book, I emphasize the fact that the presentation is a unique combination of a number of timely issues such as mental illness stigma, acceptance of cultural differences, bias-based bullying, and mental health impact. The presentation illustrates a definitive connection between prolonged childhood bullying, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and development of one of the more severe forms of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) later in life.
I like to address the issue of mental health stigma because there are still a lot of adults who do not pay sufficient attention to possible mental health issues that their children might be experiencing. It is very important for the children to get professional help as soon as possible so it does not become a long-term issue. I also like to communicate the message that it’s okay to be different, and that it is important to accept the fact that people can be different in a number of ways.
Long-lasting psychological impact of bullying is an extremely serious issue that often goes unnoticed and undetected during school years. School administration and staff often believe that once a student (who was a victim of bullying while in school) graduates, there is no impact any more. The purpose of this presentation is to emphasize the fact that for millions of victims of school bullying, that is not the case – in fact, many of them suffer for years because of mental health issues triggered by bullying. It is very likely that if these students had received appropriate guidance and assistance during school years the mental health impact would not have been as severe.