Effects of School Bullying on Children

School bullying must be given more attention. Based on KPAI (National Commission for Child Protection) research in 2018, there still 161 cases of bullying in school. It means that we still have a lot work to do to stop bullying. The latest issue about a girl named Nadia who committed suicide because of bullying in school show us that Indonesia still lack of concern of bullied children in school. It is sad to know children who should still grew up, suffering from bullying and end up to committed suicide. Bullying in schools must be stopped because it will damage the mental development of children, disrupt academic achievement, and reduce the level of self-confidence. The first effect is damage the mental development of children. According to Dr. Andre Sourander, a professor of child psychiatry at the University of Turku in Finland, children who are bullied, has a higher risk of depressive disorders and need psychiatric treatment later in life. They will grow up with a lot of pressure which causes a depressive personality. A recent study of children highlighted the role of disrupted mental illness is one of the factors that contributing to suicidal thoughts. Moreover, they will no longer have hope for life because they will feel worthless and nobody accepted them. In additional, they will start to questioning their existence towards the world whether the world will be fine if they are gone. Therefore, the children who are bullied will grow with a lot of mental illness such as anxiety disorder and depression that can lead them to committed suicide if they are not handled properly with a professional. The second effect is bullying will disrupting academic achievement. According to UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles, CA) study, Jaana Juvonen, a professor of psychology at UCLA and lead author of the study, bullying and low academic achievement are frequently linked. Children who are bullied will think they are not capable to be the top rank. Based on my experience at my little sister's school whose disable, there are many of children who bullying other children with special needed because of their different appearance, saying that they are stupid, ugly, and so on, which can stimulate their brain to be affected by those words. As a result, children who are repeatedly bullied receive poorer grades and participate less in class activity. The last is bullying in school will also reduce the children's level of self-esteem. According to psychological research, when children are constantly belittled about something, they come to doubting themselves and start believing it is true. They start closing themselves from the world outside. Keep silent is the most common things in children when they get bullying. They tend to keep it by themselves. When a children’s self-esteem becomes severely damaged, they tend to avoid friends and family altogether. Consequently, children who are bullied become lonely and have no social life or even lose interest to life. In short, bullying in schools must be stopped because it will cause a lot of damage such as the children mental development problem, disrupt academic achievement, and reduce the level of self-esteem. Afterward, school bullying on children will destroy their future. They will no longer have the joy of life. They will lose the fun of childhood that we used to have. Children who are bullied tend to kept silent. That is why we, as the adult, must encourage them to speak up and fight for their own right. Therefore, we should pay a lot of attention to bullying on children because it will ruin the next generation after us. Reference list: • Dewi Nurita, Rina Widiastuti, Hari Anak Nasional, KPAI Catat Kasus Bullying Paling Banyak, https://nasional.tempo.co/read/1109584/hari-anak-nasional-kpai-catat-kasus-bullying-paling-banyak • Effects of Bullying on a Child’s Self Esteem, https://www.ourfamilyworld.com/bullying-and-cyberbullying/bullying-consequences/effects-of-bullying-on-a-childs-self-esteem/ • Kate Barrington, How Does Bullying Affect a Student’s Academic Performance?, https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/how-does-bullying-affect-a-students-academic-performance • Roberta Alexander, Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide: The Lasting Effects of Bullying, https://www.healthline.com/health-news/bullying-affects-victims-and-bullies-into-adulthood-022013#1 • Winnieati Sutanto Putri, Kasus Bunuh Diri Nadia Bikin Netizen Serentak Cerita Kejadian Alami Bullying Waktu Kecil: 'Sampe Sekarang Masih Membekas', https://fame.grid.id/read/461993525/kasus-bunuh-diri-nadia-bikin-netizen-serentak-cerita-kejadian-alami-bullying-waktu-kecil-sampe-sekarang-masih-membekas?page=all