Bullying, a leading cause to child and adolescent suicide

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Patience Machayi, also known as Paciencia Machai, an Angolan and currently a fourth year Medical student at Sumy State University in Ukraine. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Suicide is a complex phenomenon influenced by the impact of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. [1] Among these polarizing factors is harassment/bullying. Bullying is a type of forceful conduct where somebody purposefully and more than once causes someone else injury or uneasiness. [2] Bullied people are twice as liable to think about suicide and almost over twice as liable to engage in suicide which is a global mental health threat. Bullying causes one to feel miserable, defenceless, and loathed, which can prompt low confidence, gloom, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Taking into exceptional consideration youth, the World Health Organization has perceived suicide prevention as a significant general health priority. Suicide preventive systems, for example, making a move towards early location of harassing can help the counteraction of a youngster and juvenile commit suicide.

The primary step to tackle bullying is knowledge and observation. We need to be aware that although bullying generally happens in areas such as the bathroom, playground, crowded hallways, and school buses it must be taken seriously and action must be taken immediately to set an explicit reminder that bullying is not accepted and such behaviours will have consequences. On the opposite end as guardians of children occupied with bullying it’s imperative to teach children about harassment at an early stage [2]. It is important to  remind the child or teen that harassing others can have legitimate consequences. It is true that children indeed learn conduct and shape part of their character through their parents. Being presented with forceful conduct or an excessively severe climate at home makes children be more inclined to menace at school. Guardians should demonstrate positive models for their children in their associations with others and with them as well.

Kids may not generally be vocal about being bullied [3]. As a parent of a child being harassed, it is significant to notice a child for indications of bullying which include: ripped clothing, dithering about going to class, bad dreams, crying, or melancholy and nervousness. Have an open-minded discussion to know what is happening at school so you can find the proper ways to address the circumstance. In particular, let your child know you will help them and that they should make an effort not to retaliate, rather show the kid how to deal with being harassed without being crushed. It likewise urges more established children to fill in as coaches and illuminate more youthful ones about well-being from bullying that comes in any form. This sets positive expectations for reported cases.

Showing kids about self-advocacy also permits them to gain resilience and certainty to travel through life’s hindrances. When children trust in their capacity to tackle issues, they get better at solving them. We as a whole should forestall bullying [2]. One thing we can each effectively begin doing today is showing youth how to comprehend individuals’ disparities and to practice consideration, acceptance, tolerance and inclusiveness.

References

1. Wasserman, D., Carli, V., Iosue, M., Javed, A., & Herrman, H. (2021, March 1). Suicide prevention in childhood and adolescence: A narrative review of current knowledge on risk and protective factors and effectiveness of interventions. Wiley Online Library. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/appy.12452.

• American Psychological Association. (n.d.). How parents, teachers and kids can take action to prevent bullying. American Psychological Association. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/topics/bullying/prevent.

• Foster, K. (2021, October 11). How to prevent bullying & the importance of peer intervention. KVC Hospitals. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://hospitals.kvc.org/2019/10/29/how-to-prevent-bullying-the-importance-of-peer-intervention/.

About the author

Patience Machayi, also known as Paciencia Machai is an Angolan and currently a fourth year Medical student at Sumy State University in Ukraine. She is a  member of American Academy of Neurology, American college of Cardiology, United People Global, Empower Youth led  Group, Member of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy and Member of Impact Youth Sustainability. She has served as the director of ambassadors of World Youth International Model United Nations Ukraine and currently as an ambassador of theirworld organization, World Literacy Foundation, of greenlight for girls, an ambassador and Public relations officer of Toufiks World Medical Association Ukraine.