Children bullied by friends and siblings are more likely to think about suicide in their early 20s

Posted on October 11, 2019

Researchers from the University of Warwick studied the effect of childhood bullying on the mental health of individuals. Prior research has shown that bullying affects the mental health of adolescents, but this study seeks to investigate the type of effects associated with bullying.

The researchers used the Children of the 90s study, which suggested that individuals who were bullied by their siblings when they were children tend to have more mental health issues as they mature. Additionally, if they were victims of bullying by their peers, the chances of them developing mental health problems increased.

3,881 youths were recruited for the study, which required them to report any bullying experienced when they were 12 years old. When they turned 24, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and self-harm were measured in these individuals.

The data collected showed that 31.2% of the youths were bullied by their siblings. Some of these participants were also the perpetuators of bullying as well, as 15.1% of them were diagnosed with clinical depression. If the participant experienced both victim and peer bullying, they were twice as likely to develop clinical depression and have suicidal ideations.

These individuals also tend to engage in self-harm behaviors. As bullying by siblings or peers often begin from a young age, it is important for parents to actively intervene and educate their children to reduce bullying between their children. In doing so, they will create a safe space at home for children to develop positively.


Category(s):Bullying, Suicide Prevention

Source material from Science Daily