BY ANDREW M. SEAMAN
Tue Dec 23, 2014 12:13pm EST
(Reuters Health) – Quality of life for college students is linked with their bullying experiences in primary school and high school, researchers from Taiwan suggest.
Parents should know that being the victim of bullying is not something kids simply grow out of once they get to college, the study’s senior author told Reuters Health in an email.
“Bullying should be dealt with seriously and as early as possible before any further damage is done,” said Jiun-Hau Huang, an associate professor at National Taiwan University in Taipei.
In one international study, 9 to 13 percent of adolescents ages 11 to 15 reported being recently bullied, wrote Huang and his colleague, Yu-Ying Chen, in the journal Pediatrics.
Bullying among children and teens is linked to a number of physical and mental problems, research has shown. And the potential negative effects of bullying may add up over time (see Reuters Health story of February 17, 2014 here: reut.rs/ZeTI3q.)
Using 2013 data from 1,452 Taiwanese college students, Huang and Chen analyzed whether different types of bullying before college might be linked with students' current quality of life.
They note that bullying can take many forms, including physical and verbal abuse. It can also occur socially, such as through excluding someone. Bullying can also be “cyber” and occur over electronic channels.
Using a widely-accepted measure of quality of life that examines physical, psychological, social and environmental health, the researchers found that being victimized by bullies, or actually being the bully, were each linked in complicated ways with quality of life during college.
For example, being the victim of cyber-bullying before college was actually associated with a better score for physical health during college. While they can’t explain that finding, the researchers suggest that the cyber-bullying victims may have ended up not spending as much time online and instead took part in activities that improved their health.
But the victims of verbal and relational bullying before and during college had lower overall quality of life scores than others who didn’t experience bullying.
“In other words, bullying is a serious issue with long-term repercussions and parents should not take it lightly,” said Huang.
Being the bully, however, was tied to increased quality of life scores.
The researchers also found that the worse psychological scores among victims of bullying were often explained by depression. That finding requires more analysis, they write.
Huang said there's also a need for research to see if any interventions can prevent kids from experiencing the long-term effects of bullying, and to confirm that bullying is really the cause of the effects they saw in these students.
When kids are experiencing bullying, Huang said they should report it immediately.
“They should be reminded that it is brave and helpful to report any bullying perpetration or victimization around them, and it is the right thing to do,” he said. “Their reporting behavior should be reinforced, instead of being treated as a sign of weakness. Such openness and transparency may help reduce the secrecy and occurrence of bullying.”
SOURCE: bit.ly/1wCfkVd Pediatrics, online December 22, 2014.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.