You Won't Believe What Researchers Found In People That Were Bullied At A Young Age!!
April 14, 2026
Have you ever thought about how bullying truly impacts a young kid?
Bullying happens way more often than people lie to admit, and it affects way more kids than you may think. Many of these students develop serious problems that they deal with long after they graduate. Problems like depression, anxiety, self-harm, and substance abuse are among the most common.
You may be thinking, all kids get bullied at one point or another, that it's just a part of growing up and it's not an issue. What people don't see is the internal damage that it truly causes for a child. Studies show that kids who are bullied are 2-9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-bullied individuals! This is from California Learning Resource Network.
According to Center for Violence Prevention, "26.1% of middle school students are bullied." Middle school is where someone begins to figure out the person that they want to become and where they are in society. Being bullied at this time of self-discovery can lead to depression.
Depression is a mental disorder that affects many of the students that are bullied in middle school. This disorder causes constant feelings of sadness, hopelessness that never seem to go away. Imagine feeling like that every single day. This disorder typically follows a person even after they graduate. It's like a shadow that never leaves your side.
Being bullied is something that happens every day. This leads to anxiety disorders from the constant fear of being talked about or picked on. These fears then follow a person into other parts of their lives like friendships, romantic and family relationships. It is like a fear that can't be overcome or concurred.
The National Center for Health Statistics says that "Teenagers ages 12–17 with anxiety symptoms were significantly higher among teenagers who were bullied (29.8%) than those who were not (14.5%)."
I was bullied throughout middle school, and I was scared all the time, and I mean like all the time! Walking into school was like walking into a ticking time bomb. I knew I would be judged it was just a matter of when. I always thought that I was going to be made fun of for my looks or the way I talked. I lived my life in a constant state of worry and fear of not being liked or accepted. I went to therapy and got medicated because of the bullying that I experienced at just 13 years old.
Some people grew up in an age where bullying wasn't something that was talked about. Now more and more studies are coming out and there is evidence of how bullying can seriously change someone's life.
A kid who is bullied never ever forgets their experiences that time of their life. It impacts their mental or physical health, and it can reshape how a kid thinks or acts. Honestly it can make a person do a 180 and believe me, it is scary to see.
Physically, some kids hurt their bodies by either self-harm or turning to substances as escape routes.
Kids who are victims of bullying are at a higher risk of turning to dangerous substances compared to the students who don't experience any kind of bullying in school at a younger age.
Substance abuse is something that kids do to get away from the constant torment that comes from bullying. By turning to substances like drugs and alcohol they feel that these temporary fixes lessen the pain of what they go through even if it is just for a short time.
According to The Ohio State University "among middle-school students, only 1.6 percent of those not involved in bullying reported marijuana use. But 11.4 percent of bullies and 6.1 percent of bully-victims used the drug. Findings showed that 2.4 percent of victims were marijuana users."
But these habits can turn into addiction and dependence which can be much harder to get away from and can lead to a more dangerous path down the road.
Self-harm has also been found to be linked to becoming a victim of bullying. Girls are more likely to turn to self-harm compared to boys. This is due to the fact that many girls are bullied about their bodies in many different ways.
Turning to self-harm is a way that girls gain a sense of feeling because of being depressed and losing a sense of self and emotion. Self-harm is one of the more dangerous coping mechanisms that is used.
When a child participates in inflicting harm on themselves, the intention is rarely to cause death. Majority of the reasons behind self-harm is to inflict pain on themselves for some sort of feeling.
According to the National Library of Medicine, "7.7% of early adolescents (grades 6–8, n = 508) reported engaging in NNSI (non-suicidal self-injury)." Suicide is one of the very sad consequences that can happen when a kid gives up on life because they can't get away from the torment. That torment could be from both the bullies and the battle that can't be seen from the naked eye. It unfortunately happens more than people think and that is the sad truth.
Bullying isn't "just part of growing up." It can literally change a person's life long after they graduate school. The emotional and mental effects like anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are some of the most common results of bullying.
People are finally starting to talk about bullying more. Since this topic has gained more attention, family, friends, and bystanders are starting to notice the signs before the issue becomes too bad.
If bullying of a student is ignored, the problems that arise from being bullied can and will affect future generations.
First ask yourself, would I want someone to jump in and break the hell cycle?
Be someone who isn't afraid to say something. Take a stand against bullying, you have the potential to help so many others and save them from becoming the next target of bullying.
Creating a safe school environment does not just help current students who are victims, but it can literally prevent younger kids from being dragged down a similar road. Change does take time but being willing to take that first step towards something brighter and safer can honestly be the defining step to a better future!
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