Today we know that bullying can have long-term effects on both the victim—and the bully. As an adult, the bully has a greater risk of being involved in criminal behavior, and both the bully and the victim may suffer from future health and mental health problems. In fact, years after the bullying occurred, adults who were bullied as teens have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults. And, six out of 10 kids identified as bullies in middle school are convicted of a crime by the time they reach age 24. It’s a sobering scenario. Here’s a closer look at these long-term effects.

• Some victims of bullying experience immediate mental or physical health-related consequences. Studies show that victims have more anxiety, sadness, sleep difficulties, low self-esteem, headaches, stomach pain, and general tension than their peers who are not being bullied. Researchers from Finland discovered that victims are more likely than bullies to suffer from anxiety disorders, such as depression, separation anxiety and panic disorder. Also, this psychological stress can cause victims’ bodies to be less resistant to disease and infection, and therefore, they may get sick more often.

• In the social area, victims have few friends or none at all. Due to their high anxiety level and low self-worth, it is very hard for them to make friends. This leads to feelings of isolation and the belief that they are not even worthy of friendships. Often, other kids don’t want to become friends with the victims because they are afraid that they will be bullied as well. Another reason that other kids do not hang around with victims is because they worry that peers will not like them if they associate with the victims.

• When victims are sad or lonely, this can affect how they perform in school. Since many victims are afraid to go to school, they may suffer from poor attendance. They might be afraid to ride the school bus or use the bathroom at school. One study found that 8 percent of 8th graders in the United States miss at least one day of school each month because they are afraid of bullies.  Victims often earn lower grades due to poor attendance, stress and worry. They become obsessed with the bullying and how to avoid it. This leaves little or no time, energy or concern for schoolwork and learning. A vicious cycle can occur because the victim’s poor school performance can lead to embarrassment and anxiety, which may in turn increase the bullying.

• Victims may become violent, either at the time of the bullying or in the future. This violent behavior may be directed at themselves, at their school in general, or in the form of retaliation toward the bully. Sometimes the violent behavior can lead to even more bullying towards the victim, as the bullies seek revenge on the victim for bullying them.

 Dr. Lowenstein recently appeared on NBC4 with Cabot Rea to discuss bullying and the associated consequences. If you saw the segment, we’d love to hear your comments. Or, feel free to share your thoughts on this sobering topic.