Maryland Peace of Mind: The mental health consequences of bullying
Updated: 9:17 AM EST Jan 30, 2023
THEIR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED. IT’S A BEHAVIOR THAT CAN HAVE SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES. THAT’S THIS MORNING’S ’MARYLAND PEACE OF MIND’ TOPIC. JOINING US IS DR. KRISTI PHILLIPS, A PSYCHOLOGIST WITH KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE’S CHILD AND FAMILY THERAPY CLINIC. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WHEN A CHILD IS BULLIED, IT IS NOT JUST FOR THAT DAY. IT HAS A LASTING EFFECT. >> ABSOLUTELY. YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU WILL START SEEING SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THEY MIGHT BE REFUSING TO GO TO SCHOOL OR’S SENSE THEY ARE HAVING A LOT OF STOMACHACHES OR HEADACHES WHICH CAN BE CONTRIBUTED TO ANXIETY. YOU CAN ALSO HAVE ONGOING ANXIETY THAT CAN LAST INTO ADULTHOOD. WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF ALL OF THESE THINGS. JASON: FOR PARENTS, IS THERE A CERTAIN AGE GROUP THAT YOU SEE AS BEING THE MOST AT RISK? >> WE KNOW THAT ABOUT 20 OR 25% OF KIDS AGE 12-18 REPORT BEING BULLIED AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES. THE HIGHEST RATE FOR BULLYING TENDS TO BE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. JASON: WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE PERSON BEING BULLIED, BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT THE BULLY THEMSELVES. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT A PERSON WHO CHOOSES THAT WAY TO GO? >> WE KNOW A LOT OF TIMES A CHILD WHO IS CHOOSING TO BULLY OFTENTIMES HAS A LOT OF CONCERNS THEMSELVES. THEY MIGHT BE TRYING TO GET ATTENTION, TRYING TO BUILD THEIR POPULARITY IN SOME WAY. OFTENTIMES, WE KNOW THEY HAVE LOWER SELF-ESTEEM AND POTENTIALLY HAVE HAD VIOLENCE IN THEIR LIVES. SO WE KNOW THERE CAN BE OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS THEY ARE EXPERIENCING TOO. JASON: SOCIAL MEDIA SEEMS TO FUEL BULLYING. TELL ME ABOUT CYBER BULLYING. >> CYBER BULLYING IS A TOUGH CHALLENGE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE SOMETIMES ANONYMOUSLY. YOU CAN BULLIED SOMEBODY WITHOUT THEM KNOWING WHO YOU ARE BY JUST GETTING ONLINE AND USING DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA APPS OR MESSAGE BOARDS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FAMILIES CAN DO IS TAKE NOTICE WHEN IT IS HAPPENING AND BE MINDFUL OF WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE DOING ONLINE. YOU CAN USE MONITORING APPS OR SOFTWARE OR YOU CAN FOLLOW THEM OR FRIEND THEM ON THEIR PAGES. JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING. JASON: JUST A LITTLE TIME LEFT. WHEN IS IT THE TIME FOR A PARENT TO DECIDE THEIR CHILD TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP? >> THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE. WE KNOW SO MANY KIDS STRUGGLE WITH THE EFFECTS FROM BULLYING AND IT IS NEVER NOT OK TO SEEK HELP. WANT TO SEEK HELP IF YOU FEEL YOUR CHILD IS STRUGGLING. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER RESOURCES PARENTS CAN USE. EVEN BEFORE BULLYING OCCURS. YOU CAN LOOK ONLINE AT SYOPBULLYING.GOV. JASON: THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE HAVE MORE FACTS ON BULLYING, PREVENTION, AND HOW TO SEEK HELP ON WBALTV.COM. CLICK ON ’MARYLAND PEACE OF MIND.’ AND A REMINDER, IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, YOU CAN CALL 988 FOR IMMEDIATE HELP. WE ALSO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL LISTING OF RESOURCES IN MARYLAND ON WBALTV.CO
Maryland Peace of Mind: The mental health consequences of bullying
Updated: 9:17 AM EST Jan 30, 2023
No parent wants to hear their child is being bullied. It’s a behavior that can have serious mental health consequences. That is the topic of this Maryland Peace of Mind segment. Joining us is Dr. Kristi Phillips, a psychologist with Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Child and Family Therapy Clinic. She talks about the risk and long-term effects that can com from bullying.
No parent wants to hear their child is being bullied. It’s a behavior that can have serious mental health consequences. That is the topic of this Maryland Peace of Mind segment. Joining us is Dr. Kristi Phillips, a psychologist with Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Child and Family Therapy Clinic. She talks about the risk and long-term effects that can com from bullying.
