Children and teens want to be normal, and when they struggle with psychiatric issues, they tend to have difficulty "fitting in." Differences make these kids vulnerable to bullying experiences and attendant emotional turmoil. And those who experience cyberbullying may be at even higher risk for mental health problems. A study forthcoming in the Archives of Suicide Research found that youth who have been victims of cyberbullying are almost twice as likely as victims of traditional bullying to have attempted suicide.
Whatever more research can show us, it's clear that to effectively deal with cyberbullying, we need to address the psychiatric problems that both motivate it and are exacerbated by it.
Peer aggression is never normal. While it doesn't cause a child to develop a psychiatric disorder, it is a red flag for preexisting mental health problems and can contribute to depression, low self-esteem, irritability and feelings of hopelessness. Bullies usually have problems with impulse control and hyperactivity. Many of them have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a co-occurring conduct disorder.
Victims, on the other hand, are more likely than their peers to feel low self-worth and experience depression. Their feelings of low self-worth can be compounded when any form of bullying occurs, but their emotional response to cyberbullying may be especially devastating.
Since cyberbullying occurs in virtual space (and without physical contact), victims can experience the double anguish of being powerless to stop their harassment and unable to prove who's harassing them. As for cyberbullies, they can be more vicious, their feelings of empathy minimized, since they don't see the impact of their meanness.
Amid the whirlwind of complex questions on how to deal with cyberbullying, many parents feel helpless, and schools are unsure where they fit in the solution. The problem can seem too large and bewildering for individuals to address.
But we can all do something about this problem, first by being more vigilant about our children's mental health (a preventative step that may sound obvious in the context of this article, but as a matter of public interest, child mental health has repeatedly received too little, too late).
Fewer than half of the 15 million children and teens with psychiatric disorders in this country ever receive clinical attention, and while approximately one in five teens experiences depression before adulthood, less than 33 percent of depressed teens ever get treatment. Depressed teens, whose symptoms usually include extreme irritability and rejection sensitivity, are the most vulnerable to cyberbullying -- and they are 12 times more likely to commit suicide.
Each of us can make an enormous difference simply by watching for signs of mental health problems in our children and teens. Behavioral changes are the most easily recognized sign of trouble and include angry and tearful outbursts, new patterns of eating and sleeping, a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, a sudden change in social groups or clothing style and withdrawal from family and friends.
Parents should also talk to their children about normal emotional and physical changes. This conversation should be ongoing and encourage self-respect, self-acceptance, and empathy toward others. Parent-child communication is especially important during the middle school years, because at that time, more than any other, a child's identity and self-worth revolves around peer relationships.
For any child, being "normal" ultimately means feeling good about one's self. It means having the ability to resist peer aggression, make good choices, and acquire independence. We certainly need new anti-bullying policies to help keep our kids safe, but with respect to cyberbullying--and most other pressures kids confront--we can make the most significant progress by first prioritizing children's mental health.
Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D.
President, The Child Mind Institute
Director, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
http://childmindinstitute.com
Follow Dr. Harold Koplewicz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrKoplewicz
Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?
Thanks for this insightful article. I am doing a book on cyberbullying right now and it is amazing to interview not only those who have been bullied but the bully too. Somehow they have not been taught empathy, which is an important part of a full life.
Judy H Wright aka Auntie Artichoke, family relationship author and keynote speaker
http://www.cyberbullyinghelp.com
Yes, it is important to teach children about compassion and reciprocity and to point to the importance of empathy.
But, make no mistake, some people (including children) suffer from brain conditions that reduce empathy -- that is, a brain-based ability to empathize and act on those feelings of empathy.
With ADHD, for example, children with untreated symptoms are more likely to BULLY as well as to be BULLIED.
In some people with neurocognitive disorders, medical treatment can improve their ability to act on empathic feelings. But in others, such as those on the autistic spectrum, empathy can only be approximated with guidelines on courtesy and reciprocal behavior.
http://www.livingfithealthyandhappy.com/2010/05/bullies.html
Moreover this behavior if left untreated will worsen over time. Indeed adults also engage in bullying behavior and mistreat co-workers, neighbors, etc. Parents, educators, health care professionals and the general public must work together to bring an end to bullying and harassment in all of its forms. All people deserve the right to be treated with respect and dignity.
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"(T)raditional bullying victims were 1.7 times more likely and traditional bullying offenders were 2.1 times more likely to have attempted suicide than those who were not traditional victims or offenders. Similarly, cyberbullying victims were 1.9 times more likely and cyberbullying offenders were 1.5 times more likely to have attempted suicide than those who were not cyberbullying victims or offenders."
Thus relatively similar trends related to bullying and suicide - traditional or online - offender or target.
It is exceptionally important that we understand that the youth who engage in harmful behavior are also troubled and need our assistance. Too often, the disciplinary responses to bullying situations fail to recognize this. Simply suspending a student who has engaged in aggressive behavior--without getting to the root cause of such behavior--will not remedy the overall situation.
Comments related to the importance of witness actions are very sound. Electronic aggression is most often occurring in environments where there are no responsible adults. Providing young people with skills in resolving interpersonal conflict can assist in empowering peers to effectively intervene -- or report to an adult.
noted by Dr. Koplewicz)?
I take issue with scientific writing which attempts to boggle the mind with superlatives,
e.g. your 4th paragraph. "It is EXCEPTIONALLY important. . . ." Wouldn't "especially
important" be more accurate? Why is an "understanding" of "exceptional" importance?
Authors: Sameer Hindujaa;Â Justin W. Patchin
Published in: Archives of Suicide Research, Volume 14, Issue 3 July 2010 , pages 206 - 221
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a924722304~db=all~jumptype=rss
Abstract: Empirical studies and some high-profile anecdotal cases have demonstrated a link between suicidal ideation and experiences with bullying victimization or offending.
The current study examines the extent to which a nontraditional form of peer
aggression—cyberbullying—is also related to suicidal ideation among adolescents.
In 2007, a random sample of 1,963 middle-schoolers from one of the largest school
districts in the United States completed a survey of Internet use and experiences.
Youth who experienced traditional bullying or cyberbullying, as either an offender
or a victim, had more suicidal thoughts and were more likely to attempt suicide than
those who had not experienced such forms of peer aggression. Also, victimization was
more strongly related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors than offending. The findings
provide further evidence that adolescent peer aggression must be taken seriously both
at school and at home, and suggest that a suicide prevention and intervention component is essential within comprehensive bullying response programs implemented in
schools.
Note one of the difficulties in this area is the incredible delay between conducting research and the publication of findings in an academic journal.
How did I know? Because I had other children tell me on several occassions.
I know you are writing about cyber bullying but I would argue the that culture of bullying begins before the children move to the cyber arena. We live in an upper-middle class suburb and the unkindnesses are not reserved to the children, their parents participate in it as well in a cloaked form by being selective about whom they and their children will speak to and be allowed to interact with. It is quite an astonishing thing to witness.
I am somewhat heartened by other children telling you about abuses your son has suffered. I'm not an educator, but I think a key to this involves promoting positive bystander behavior - having other kids stick up for the victims and inform adults when things start to get serious.
I very much appreciate this article as I find it essential to be on top of this issue as my child moves into this phase of life.
For some bullies, provoking others to emotional reactions is "self-medicating" -- it gives them pleasure because it is stimulating. (Note that the first-line medical treatment for ADHD is the stimulant class of medications.)
And it doesn't stop when they grow up, if left untreated., They can become bullies on the job, in relationships, and with their own children. I think the current "political discourse" in this country, not to mention the surfeit of Internet trolls, demonstrates clearly that many American adults "self-medicate" with provocation, anger, and bullying.
Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?
There is confusion about the legal standards over when school officials can respond to off-campus speech. There should really be no confusion. Regardless of geographic origin, if the speech of a student(s) is making it impossible for another student to safely come to school, school officials can - and must - respond. The case law supports this basic premise.
In the last decade the focus of school officials has been solely on NCLB and making annual yearly progress - with no focus on the social emotional well-being of youth. When Obama/Duncan came into office they slashed the safe school funds by 40%. So at the time it is imperative for schools to refocus their efforts on this new challenge, the very professionals who have the basis of understanding to do so are receiving pink slips.
It is not appropriate to lump young people into separate groups of "bullies" and "victims." This is a spectrum of behavior that is associated with challenges in interpersonal relationships - which will not be remedied with drugs. Young people who do not feel loved and supported and do not gain the values and abilities to effectively deal with interpersonal conflict will be more at risk of engaging in or being targeted by aggression.
Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D.
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
I am particularly drawn to your comments about the need for development of interpersonal relationships and the inappropriateness of grouping "bullies" and "victims".
Excellent post. Thank you.
You cannot be much of an expert on this topic if you don't understand the role of untreated psychiatric orders in the phenomenon of cyber-bullying.
Not only are they experiencing emotions they don't understand, but some bullies suffering from brain-based emotional dysregulation. Most people do not realize that ADHD is only superficially about attention. It is at its core about self-regulation, and the inability to regulate emotions is a huge problem for many people with untreated ADHD.
www.diamondhour.com
The only problem with leaving it up to parents to care for and monitor their children is that many cannot provide the support their kids need. Kids need support systems (not to deliver punishments) but to educate, encourage and evaluate kids who are targets and give them the self esteem and skills they need to cope.
Its well documented that many bullied teens become low achievers, earn lower salaries, have more conflicts at work and suffer more from preventable stress (that assertiveness training can change) and this problem should not be ignored as a "phase" or the kids will learn in time. I beleive this problem significantly impacts the lives as much as drug or alcohol abuse and should be given more priority within our society.