A study from Finland has found that boys who bully and boys who are victims of bullies are at higher risk for mental health disorders in their late teens and early twenties.
More than 2500 Finnish boys participated in the study. At the age of eight, the boys were asked questions about bullying: if they were bullied, if they bullied others, how often it happened, and more. Parents and teachers also answered questions about the boys. A decade later, the information was compared with psychiatric information from medical exams taken between the ages of 18 and 23 in preparation for military service (which is compulsory in Finland).
- Boys who habitually bullied others had an elevated risk of developing an antisocial personality disorder as a young adult. This could include aggressive and/or violent behavior, a disregard for laws, and a disregard for the rights of other people.
- Boys who were habitually victims of bullying had an elevated risk of developing an anxiety disorder as a young adult.
- Boys who both bullied and were victims of bullying had an elevated risk of both anxiety disorders and antisocial personality disorders.
Boys in the study who also had other emotional or behavioral problems were at a higher risk overall when involved in bullying or being bullied. The lead researcher on the study suggested that a mental health professional might be needed in those cases. Also at a higher risk overall were those who both bullied and were victims of bullying. Approximately three percent of the group fell into the both category, and most of them already showed signs of psychiatric problems at age 8.
Frequent bullying and frequent victimization is a red flag, according to lead researcher Andre Sourander from Turku University in Finland. Cooperation between parents, teachers, school officials, and health care professionals is important to help the children on both sides of the bullying line. Preventive interventions when a child is young can help reduce the risk of serious mental issues later in life.