Bullying Victims Likely To Develop Physical Health Problems

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Professor Arseneult from Duke University Medical Center, New York revealed that bullied children may have their physical health affected in addition to physiological health problems. In his study, Prof. Arseneult defined the bullying as a "toxic stress" which affects the children's physiological responses.

One mechanism that may drive this psychological and physical relationship is the inflammatory response, which occurs when the body is fighting an infection, reacting to an injury or responding to a chronic health problem. This inflammatory response is indicated by high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the body.

"However, in a finding that surprised the researchers, participants who bullied others were found to now have the lowest levels of CRP out of all groups studied - including those who had not been exposed to bullying," Medical News Today wrote on its site.

"Bullying and the continued threat of being bullying can have physiological consequences. There is evidence that over time this experience can dysregulate biological stress response systems. In our work, victims have higher levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein up to a decade after their bullying experience. Over time, the wear and tear of these physiological changes can limit the individual's ability to respond to new challenges and put them at increased risk for physical illnesses,” said William E . Copeland, assistant professor at the Center for Developmental Epidemiology at Duke.

MEDICAL NEWS TODAY | CHETA NILAWATY