Let’s face it, adults are often bullied but might not show signs. Bullying is quite common in colleges, though not at the same level as it is in secondary schools. What many people forget is that bullying is dangerous and may reshape the whole life of an individual. Education handlers in colleges, students, and parents need to understand the effects of bullying in colleges. This will help them identify these issues in their early stages and deal with them.
Low self-esteem
If there is one thing that bullying damages badly then it is self-esteem. When bullied in college, one starts thinking about the negative messages the bullies carry around. Since the messages are said repeatedly, the bullied person starts believing the hurtful things. It is worth noting that some of the negative messages are premised on the physical traits of a person. For example, if a person of color is abused based on his/her race, then they will start feeling inferior. This damages their self-esteem and they become unable to cope with the demands of life in college.
Anxiety and depression
Always watch out for anxiety and depression as they are amongst the worst effects of bullying in colleges. The bullied person often finds life very unhappy, leaving him/her in an unending state of anxiety. They are not sure when the bully will strike next and often stay worried all the time. This is most predominant when the bullying is based online i.e. cyberbullying. Studies show that female students in colleges are likely to suffer anxiety depression more than their male counterparts. Therefore, it is important for parents and educationists in colleges to use such studies to help women in colleges.
Drug abuse
Drugs are a safe haven for bully-victims in colleges. They will start using drugs as they put their thoughts away from the issues that they are facing in college. It is very dangerous because the students might become addicted to the drugs and present more issues than what bullying presented.
Self-harm
Some students are also capable of harming themselves because of bullying. Suicide rates in colleges are shocking and most of the cases are caused by mental problems that could be traced back to bullying issues.
Therefore, identifying bullying at early stages is important to avert these problems. The other alternative is to choose safe colleges like a fire academy where students’ safety is protected because of the low numbers of students.