Bullying and suicide

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Bullying suicide are considered together when the cause of suicide is attributable to the victim having been bullied, either in person or via social media. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Writers Neil Marr and Tim Field wrote about it in their 2001 book Bullycide: Death at Playtime. [6]

Contents

Suicide is completed when the victim cannot escape the chronic effects of bullying. They cannot find a way to cope that protects them and helps them to overcome their suffering. From this long-term carrying of emotional and physical scars, the individual develops feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. The bullying seems like it cannot be stopped for the victim and thus, resulting in suicide. [7]

Impact

Up until now, there is little evidence that the effects of bullying participation in childhood on adult functioning, even as a bystander, have been considered as etiological or remediable factors by adult mental health services in their responses to suicidal behavior.

Legal analysts criticize the term bullycide because it links a cause with an effect under someone else's control. [8] Research shows those who are bullied have a higher probability of considering or performing suicide than those who are not. [5] However, there are victims of bullying who do not end up committing suicide, and some of them share their experiences in order to send a positive message to bullying victims that suicide is not the only option. [9]

Some of the risk factors associated with suicide from bullying are childhood trauma, nutritional deficiencies, and mental health issues such as, depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Consequently, the victim becomes more susceptible to a distressful bullying experience. Those well adjusted may also be affected by bullying. Such as, developing a mental health disorder, like depression or start rehearsing the thoughts of suicide. [10]

Risk factors

Risk factors for bullying and suicide include emotional distress, exposure to violence, family problems, problems within relationships, lack of connections to school or a positive school environment, alcohol and drug use, or lack of access to forms of social and emotional support. [11]

Statistics

Age groups

Bullying is most often found in children and adolescents. In Erick Erickson's stages of psychosocial development, stage five, "identity verses role confusion." Occurs during the teenage ages of 12 to 18.[ citation needed ] This stage depends on the achievement of fidelity in a social group. Leading to stronger sense of identity from the interactions of that social group. Bullying may disrupt the individual's success in creating meaningful relationships in a social group. Insecurity is common in this process of finding an identity. Thus, leading to confusion. A bullied victim in this stage will struggle upon being rejected by their peers and loss of self if none another group is established in this individual's life. Also, the victim may fall short of seeking more social interactions. That will aid in the process of suicide. [12]

Prevention of suicide from bullying for children and adolescents can be alleviated from the support of parents. Being engaged in the child's life. Such as, daily activities, school, or work. Being aware of the child's friends. Changes in the child's life. Such as, lowered grades, physical bruises, or scars, eating and sleeping habits. Sharing personal social experiences, may lead the child to be open in their social experiences. These can help a child suffering from bullying. [7]

In 2010, the suicides of teenagers in the United States who were bullied because they were gay or perceived to be [13] [14] led to the establishment of the It Gets Better project by Dan Savage. [15] [16] The online event, Spirit Day, was created in which participants were asked to wear purple as a symbol of respect for the deceased victims of bullying, particularly cyberbullying, and to signify opposition to the bullying of the LGBT community.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that almost 45,000 deaths occur from suicide each year. There are about 100 non-fatal suicide attempts to every 1 suicide. A little over 14% of students in high school consider suicide and approximately 7% of them attempt suicide. Students that are bullied are around 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims. [17] A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying. 10 to 14 year old teen girls are most likely to commit suicide based on this study. According to ABC News, nearly 30% of students are either victims of bullies or bullies themselves and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because they are scared of being bullied. [18]

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a form of aggression by using the internet and/or electronic communication, such as mobile phones, e-mail, and text message, to cause humiliation, terrorization, embarrassment, and/or psychological distress to a peer. [19] In comparison to verbal bullying, a research study showed that adolescents who reported cyberbullying were 11.5 times more likely to have suicidal ideation, while those who have reported verbal bullying were only 8.4 times more likely. [20] In another study, 75% of adolescents who experienced cyberbullying presented with higher suicidal ideation than those who have experienced verbal bullying. [21] Furthermore, cyberbullying is becoming more prevalent and reoccurring than normal bullying in today's society with the increase in ownership of technology throughout the world. Cyberbullying in ways is worse than regular bullying since in a sense it does not have to stop since social media can follow you wherever you go and the bully in question can be harder to contain, which results in more consistent and harsher bullying between two parties. Lastly as the constant cyberbullying continues it can cause the victim to experience an array of emotions like anger, sadness, and loneliness which can lead to their state of mind completely changing that typically include anxiety and depressive habits. As this state of minds get worse it can even cause the victim to commit suicide. [22]

Amanda Michelle Todd was a victim of cyberbullying and committed suicide. On October 19, 2012, at the age of 15, from British Columbia, Canada. She posted a video on YouTube, sharing her story of being stalked, used, being bullied at school and by online comments. Her story escalated when the online comments, cyberbullying, told her that she should have used another bleach to kill herself. This lead Todd to hang herself, not long after. [23]

As of 2022, research has come to show that perpetrators of cyberbullying often report having a history of being bullied themselves, and their rates of suicidality are similar to those who are victims of cyberbullying. [24]

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBTQ+) Youth

US lesbian, gay, and bisexual students attempt suicide 2–7 times more than heterosexuals and up to one third of transgender people has made an attempt on their life. [25] Young adults of the LGBT community "must cope with developing sexual minority identity along with negative comments, jokes, and threats of violence". [26] A research identified that 19 studies were linked to suicidal behavior in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students to bullying at school. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender students experience more bullying than heterosexual or cisgender students. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transphobia</span> Anti-transgender prejudice

Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not conform to social gender roles. Transphobia is a type of prejudice and discrimination, similar to racism, sexism, or ableism, and it is closely associated with homophobia. People of color who are transgender experience discrimination above and beyond that which can be explained as a simple combination of transphobia and racism.

Gay bashing is an attack, abuse, or assault committed against a person who is perceived by the aggressor to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+). It includes both violence against LGBT people and LGBT bullying. The term covers violence against and bullying of people who are LGBT, as well as non-LGBT people whom the attacker perceives to be LGBT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullying</span> Use of force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others

Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception of an imbalance of physical or social power. This imbalance distinguishes bullying from conflict. Bullying is a subcategory of aggressive behavior characterized by hostile intent, imbalance of power and repetition over a period of time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14, and the third leading cause of death for those between 15 and 25

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicidal ideation</span> Thoughts, ideas, or ruminations about the possibility of ending ones life

Suicidal ideation, or suicidal thoughts, is the thought process of having ideas, or ruminations about the possibility of completing suicide. It is not a diagnosis but is a symptom of some mental disorders, use of certain psychoactive drugs, and can also occur in response to adverse life events without the presence of a mental disorder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Questioning (sexuality and gender)</span> Process of self-exploration

The questioning of one's sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender, or all three is a process of exploration by people who may be unsure, still exploring, or concerned about applying a social label to themselves for various reasons. The letter "Q" is sometimes added to the end of the acronym LGBT ; the "Q" can refer to either queer or questioning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School bullying</span> Type of bullying in an educational setting

School bullying, like bullying outside the school context, refers to one or more perpetrators who have greater physical strength or more social power than their victim and who repeatedly act aggressively toward their victim. Bullying can be verbal or physical. Bullying, with its ongoing character, is distinct from one-off types of peer conflict. Different types of school bullying include ongoing physical, emotional, and/or verbal aggression. Cyberbullying and sexual bullying are also types of bullying. Bullying even exists in higher education. There are warning signs that suggest that a child is being bullied, a child is acting as a bully, or a child has witnessed bullying at school.

Youth suicide is when a young person, generally categorized as someone below the legal age of majority, deliberately ends their own life. Rates of youth suicide and attempted youth suicide in Western societies and other countries are high. Youth suicide attempts are more common among girls, but adolescent males are the ones who usually carry out suicide. Suicide rates in youths have nearly tripled between the 1960s and 1980s. For example, in Australia suicide is second only to motor vehicle accidents as its leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 25.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think Before You Speak (campaign)</span> LGBT support campaign

The Think Before You Speak campaign is a television, radio, and magazine advertising campaign launched in 2008 and developed to raise awareness of the common use of derogatory vocabulary among youth towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ) people. It also aims to "raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBTQ bias and behaviour in America's schools." As LGBTQ people have become more accepted in the mainstream culture, more studies have confirmed that they are one of the most targeted groups for harassment and bullying. An "analysis of 14 years of hate crime data" by the FBI found that gays and lesbians, or those perceived to be gay, "are far more likely to be victims of a violent hate crime than any other minority group in the United States". "As Americans become more accepting of LGBT people, the most extreme elements of the anti-gay movement are digging in their heels and continuing to defame gays and lesbians with falsehoods that grow more incendiary by the day," said Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report. "The leaders of this movement may deny it, but it seems clear that their demonization of gays and lesbians plays a role in fomenting the violence, hatred and bullying we're seeing." Because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, nearly half of LGBTQ students have been physically assaulted at school. The campaign takes positive steps to counteract hateful and anti-gay speech that LGBTQ students experience in their daily lives in hopes to de-escalate the cycle of hate speech/harassment/bullying/physical threats and violence.

Various issues in medicine relate to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. According to the US Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), besides HIV/AIDS, issues related to LGBT health include breast and cervical cancer, hepatitis, mental health, substance use disorders, alcohol use, tobacco use, depression, access to care for transgender persons, issues surrounding marriage and family recognition, conversion therapy, refusal clause legislation, and laws that are intended to "immunize health care professionals from liability for discriminating against persons of whom they disapprove."

Research has found that attempted suicide rates and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are significantly higher than among the general population.

Researchers study Social media and suicide to find if a correlation exists between the two. Some research has shown that there may be a correlation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual bullying</span> Bullying associated with sexual activity or orientation

Sexual bullying is a form of bullying or harassment in connection with a person's sex, body, sexual orientation or with sexual activity. It can be physical, verbal or emotional in nature, and occurs in various settings, including schools, workplaces, and online platforms. Sexual bullying can have serious and lasting effects on the mental and emotional well-being of victims.

Peer victimization is the experience among children of being a target of the aggressive behavior of other children, who are not siblings and not necessarily age-mates.

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers and adolescents, due to young people's increased use of social media. Related issues include online harassment and trolling. In 2015, according to cyberbullying statistics from the i–Safe Foundation, over half of adolescents and teens had been bullied online, and about the same number had engaged in cyberbullying. Both the bully and the victim are negatively affected, and the intensity, duration, and frequency of bullying are three aspects that increase the negative effects on both of them.

LGBT psychology is a field of psychology of surrounding the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals, in the particular the diverse range of psychological perspectives and experiences of these individuals. It covers different aspects such as identity development including the coming out process, parenting and family practices and support for LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as issues of prejudice and discrimination involving the LGBT community.

Due to the increased vulnerability that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth face compared to their non-LGBT peers, there are notable differences in the mental and physical health risks tied to the social interactions of LGBT youth compared to the social interactions of heterosexual youth. Youth of the LGBT community experience greater encounters with not only health risks, but also violence and bullying, due to their sexual orientation, self-identification, and lack of support from institutions in society.

"Suicidal ideation" or suicidal thoughts are the precursors of suicide, which is the leading cause of death among youth. Ideation or suicidal thoughts are categorized as: considering, seriously considering, planning, or attempting suicide and youth is typically categorized as individuals below the age of 25. Various research studies show an increased likelihood of suicide ideation in youth in the LGBT community.

Bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) people, particularly LGBT youth, involves intentional actions toward the victim, repeated negative actions by one or more people against another person, and an imbalance of physical or psychological power.

People who are LGBT are significantly more likely than those who are not to experience depression, PTSD, and generalized anxiety disorder.

References

  1. ↑ Marr, Neil; Field, Tim (30 January 2001). Bully : Death at Playtime (1st ed.). Success Unlimited. ISBN   978-0-9529121-2-5.[ page needed ]
  2. ↑ Bender, Joyce (28 April 2008). "Bullycide: The Only Escape for Some Brutalizd Children with Disabilities". The Cutting Edge. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  3. ↑ Pursell Elliott, Gail (9 May 2003). School Mobbing and Emotional Abuse: See it - Stop it - Prevent it with Dignity and Respect. Routledge. p. 32. ISBN   978-0-415-94551-6.
  4. ↑ Moffatt, Gregory K (30 June 2003). Wounded Innocents and Fallen Angels: Child Abuse and Child Aggression. Praeger Publishers. p. 161. ISBN   978-0-275-97848-8.
  5. 1 2 Martinez, Edecio (4 May 2010). "Cyber Bullying Illegal: Mass. Governor Signs Landmark Anti-Bullying Law - Crimesider - CBS News". CBS News . Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  6. ↑ Marr, Neil; Field, Tim (30 January 2001). Bullycide: Death at Playtime (1st ed.). Success Unlimited. ISBN   978-0-9529121-2-5.[ page needed ]
  7. 1 2 "Bullycide | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  8. ↑ Kohut, Margaret R (9 November 2007). The Complete Guide to Understanding, Controlling, and Stopping Bullies & Bullying: A Complete Guide for Teachers & Parents. Atlantic Publishing Company. p. 114. ISBN   978-1-60138-021-0.
  9. ↑ "National Suicide Prevention Day ; Tales of a Polar Bear". talesofapolarbear.com. 2018-09-10. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  10. ↑ Hertz, Marci Feldman; Donato, Ingrid; Wright, James (2013-07-01). "Bullying and Suicide: A Public Health Approach". Journal of Adolescent Health. 53 (1): S1–S3. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.05.002. ISSN   1054-139X. PMC   4721504 . PMID   23790194.
  11. ↑ "The Relationship Between Bullying and Suicide: What We Know and What it Means for Schools" (PDF). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention. April 2014. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
  12. ↑ "Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development Explained". PositivePsychology.com. 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  13. ↑ LaSalle, Reneé (16 November 2009). "No Charges in Murray County High School "Bullycide" Case". WDEF News. Archived from the original on 20 November 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  14. ↑ Sikora, Kate (31 July 2008). "Signs that can help you save your child". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  15. ↑ "GT Investigates". GayTimes. No. 387. December 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-11-14. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
  16. ↑ "In suicide's wake, a message to gay teens: Hang on; you are not alone". St. Petersburg Times; Tampabay.com. 2 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-10-05. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
  17. ↑ "Bullying and Suicide". Bullying Statistics. 2015-07-07. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
  18. ↑ Dubreuil, Jim; McNiff, Eamon (14 October 2010). "Bullied to Death in America's Schools". ABC News.
  19. ↑ Pinto, Melissa D. (2017). "Challenges and opportunities for addressing adolescent cyberbullying within the context of clinically meaningful psychological outcomes: Addressing Adolescent Cyberbullying". Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. 30 (1): 4–5. doi:10.1111/jcap.12168. PMID   28513063.
  20. ↑ Alavi, Nazanin; Reshetukha, Taras; Prost, Eric; Antoniak, Kristen; Patel, Charmy; Sajid, Saad; Groll, Dianne (2017). "Relationship between Bullying and Suicidal Behaviour in Youth presenting to the Emergency Department". Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 26 (2): 70–77. PMC   5510935 . PMID   28747929.
  21. ↑ Roberts, Nasreen; Axas, Nicholas; Nesdole, Robert; Repetti, Leanne (October 2016). "Pediatric Emergency Department Visits for Mental Health Crisis: Prevalence of Cyber-Bullying in Suicidal Youth". Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. 33 (5): 469–472. doi:10.1007/s10560-016-0442-8. S2CID   73804324.
  22. ↑ Mc Guckin, Conor; Corcoran, Lucie (2015-11-25), "Intervention and Prevention Programmes on Cyberbullying: A Review", Cyberbullying Across the Globe, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 221–238, ISBN   978-3-319-25550-7 , retrieved 2023-05-16
  23. ↑ "The Story of Amanda Todd". The New Yorker. 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  24. ↑ Arnon, Shay; Brunstein Klomek, Anat; Visoki, Elina; Moore, Tyler M.; Argabright, Stirling T.; DiDomenico, Grace E.; Benton, Tami D.; Barzilay, Ran (2022-06-27). "Association of Cyberbullying Experiences and Perpetration With Suicidality in Early Adolescence". JAMA Network Open. 5 (6): e2218746. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18746. ISSN   2574-3805. PMC   9237787 . PMID   35759263.
  25. ↑ Haas, Ann P.; Eliason, Mickey; Mays, Vickie M.; Mathy, Robin M.; Cochran, Susan D.; D'Augelli, Anthony R.; Silverman, Morton M.; Fisher, Prudence W.; Hughes, Tonda; Rosario, Margaret; Russell, Stephen T.; Malley, Effie; Reed, Jerry; Litts, David A.; Haller, Ellen; Sell, Randall L.; Remafedi, Gary; Bradford, Judith; Beautrais, Annette L.; Brown, Gregory K.; Diamond, Gary M.; Friedman, Mark S.; Garofalo, Robert; Turner, Mason S.; Hollibaugh, Amber; Clayton, Paula J. (2011). "Suicide and Suicide Risk in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations: Review and Recommendations". Journal of Homosexuality. 58 (1): 10–51. doi:10.1080/00918369.2011.534038. PMC   3662085 . PMID   21213174.
  26. ↑ Morrow, Deana F. (January 2004). "Social Work Practice with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Adolescents". Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services. 85 (1): 91–99. doi:10.1606/1044-3894.246. S2CID   144872473. ProQuest   230162051.
  27. ↑ Gower, Amy L.; Rider, G. Nic; McMorris, Barbara J.; Eisenberg, Marla E. (December 2018). "Bullying Victimization Among LGBTQ Youth: Critical Issues and Future Directions". Current Sexual Health Reports. 10 (4): 246–254. doi:10.1007/s11930-018-0169-y. ISSN   1548-3584. PMC   6497454 .
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