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the link between
Bullying and Depression in Teens

Author:
Jemma Strain
Jemma Strain
B.S. Psychology
Editor:
Emma Loker
Emma Loker
B.S.
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Bullying and teen depression can distort a teen’s sense of reality, making it impossible to see themselves, the world, and their future clearly. 

Bullying can come in many forms, and it doesn’t have to be physical to damage a teen’s mental health. People often say that words can’t hurt, but they do – and while physical wounds can heal, words can leave marks that last forever. Plus, with the rising association between cyberbullying and depression, there’s a growing concern about how bullying can extend beyond the school gates and into the personal lives of teens.1

If you’re worried about the emotional and physical impact of bullying and depression on yourself or someone you know, you are not alone. Support, advice, and information are available to you. This article can help by discussing:

  • What bullying is
  • The link between bullying and teen depression
  • How bullying causes depression in teens
  • Preventing depression from bullying in teens
  • Support for teens facing bullying and depression
bullying and depression in teens

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is a category of behaviors that involves a power imbalance between a bully and someone at the receiving end of bullying actions. To be considered bullying, actions must2:

  • Be aggressive
  • Have a power imbalance
  • Be repetitive

To put it another way, bullying is acts of physical or mental aggression or hostility with the intent to control someone else – and they either happen repeatedly or have the potential to.  Bullying can take many different forms, including2:

  • Verbal bullying:     Saying or writing nasty things about someone, such as calling them names, making threats against them, or teasing. 
  • Social bullying: Sometimes called “relational bullying,” social bullying involves spreading rumors, not letting people spend time with someone, excluding someone, or embarrassing them in public.
  • Physical bullying: Acts of physical violence towards someone that hurts their body or damages their belongings, such as hitting, punching, slapping, or throwing.
  • Cyberbullying: Sending, posting, or sharing harmful or false content about someone. 

As might be clear from these forms of bullying, bullying behaviors can be obvious or subtle – and someone might show both. Also, the motivation behind bullying, while complicated, is usually either a reaction to feeling threatened or is unprovoked and an attempt to gain power over another person.3

The Link Between Bullying and Teen Depression

Bullying can affect anyone and can also impact everyone involved; teens who have been bullied, the bullies themselves, and those who witness it. Being bullied can affect most areas of a teenager’s life, including their4:

  • Mental health:     A teen who has been bullied might feel sad or hopeless, struggle with sleep, or lose interest in activities they previously enjoyed.
  • Physical health: The long-term stress caused by being bullied can lead to stomach pains, headaches, and digestive issues. Plus, physical bullying can cause injury to the body. 
  • Lower academic performance: A teen might struggle to concentrate due to preoccupation or lack of sleep, or might skip school to avoid their bully.  

Based on these effects of bullying on a teenager’s life, perhaps unsurprisingly, evidence shows that there’s a very strong link between bullying and depression. Teens who have been bullied may be more likely to have serious symptoms of depression and anxiety – as well as a lower ability to cope with challenges and stress.5

Although a lot of people understand that being bullied could cause depression in teens, it might not be as recognized that teens may be more likely to bully others when they’re depressed. Yet, despite how both victims and perpetrators of bullying may show signs of depression, people who have been bullied likely show the strongest symptoms of depression.3,6

How Bullying Causes Depression in Teens

The effects of bullying can snowball. At first, they may cause hurt and confusion, but, over time, a teen who is being bullied might feel a loss of control, unsafe, isolated, and even experience mental health issues such as signs of depression. 

The following are examples of the relationship between bullying and depression in adolescents:

Bullying Causes Feelings of Powerlessness

Regularly either being bullied or witnessing bullying can make a teen feel helpless over their environment. Feeling a lack of control can lead to hopelessness and a lack of interest in activities – both of which are symptoms of depression.7,8

Bullying Makes a Teen Feel Like Their World Isn't “Safe”

Teenagers who have been bullied are more likely to feel like their environment and the people in it aren’t “safe.” Not feeling safe and secure can contribute further to a sense of powerlessness and feelings of long-term sadness.9

Bullying Creates a Sense of Isolation

Being bullied can make a teen feel like they have no one to turn to. They may feel like their peers will judge them or too ashamed to seek support from an adult. As a result, many teens who have been bullied are isolated and report feeling lonely, potentially leading to depression.10,11

Bullying Contributes to Shame

Being exposed to bullying over time can cause a teenager to feel ashamed and show low self-compassion – issues that are linked to feelings of worthlessness and depression.12

Bullying Can Lead to Mental Health Conditions

Repeatedly being exposed to acts of aggression and feelings of powerlessness can cause significant trauma for a teen. As a result, a teen who has been bullied may experience high levels of anxiety, signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and symptoms of depression.13

Bullying Damages Self-Esteem

Bullying can make a teenager feel rejected, isolated, and ashamed. They might think that they did something to deserve what’s being done to them, leading to low self-esteem and symptoms of depression. Also, teenagers who bully others may also show signs of low self-worth.14,15

Bullying Can Disturb Sleep

Worrying about being bullied and going over previous scenarios in their heads can disrupt a teen’s ability to sleep. The disruptions include difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, and not feeling as though sleep was revitalizing. Each of these difficulties can contribute to depression. 16

Although the reasons why someone might become a bully can be complicated, the impact of bullying actions is pretty straightforward – they can seriously impact a teenager’s emotional and physical health. These impacts can lead to depression, which can have long-term effects on a teenager’s happiness and well-being. If you’re concerned that bullying is leading to depression in a teen, advice and support are available. 

Bullying and depression in teenage boy

Preventing Depression From Bullying in Teens

The emotional impact of bullying in teens can make them highly insecure – they might feel constantly on guard, alone, and ashamed. This impact can seriously affect a teenager’s emotional and physical health and even lead to mental health conditions such as depression if the issue isn’t managed.3,13

If you’re concerned that a teenager is being bullied and it’s taking a toll on their mental health, there are steps you can take to make them feel more supported, including:

Talking to Them:

A teen might not be willing to talk about how they’re being bullied, but you can let them know you’re there for them if they want to share. You could bring the topic up in indirect ways, such as by saying, “I’ve been hearing a lot about cyberbullying recently. Have you ever witnessed it?” Or, you could ask them more directly by saying “You seem upset lately. Has something been going on at school? I’m here for you if you want to talk.”

Contacting the School:

If a teenager is experiencing bullying at school, it might be important to make teachers and counselors aware of it. Schools have a legal responsibility to safeguard a teen, but, more so, they will likely want to. Calmly explain what you think might be happening, ask whether a teacher has noticed any withdrawal, and work to problem-solve the issue. 

Making the Family Environment a Support System: 

Support from family can help protect a teenager from the mental health effects of bullying. Plus, if a teenager has a difficult home environment, this could contribute to bullying’s negative effects on their mental health.  

If you suspect a teenager is being bullied, you could help make the family environment a support system by:

  • Listening to them 
  • Curiously asking gentle questions
  • Having fun with them, for example, cooking a meal they like together, or watching their favorite movie
  • Encouraging them to invite friends over to the house
  • Trying not to “fix” their problems and instead aiming to problem-solve together
  • Letting them know you’re there for them, unconditionally

Encouraging Friendships: 

A sense of belonging can boost self-confidence and esteem. Yet a teenager who is being bullied might feel isolated from friend groups, which can lead to low self-worth and feelings of depression. You could encourage friendships and time spent with others by:

  • Motivating them to reach out to friends they trust
  • Prompting them to join new social groups, perhaps through community organizations or extracurricular activities
  • Inspiring them to try new hobbies or interests – meeting people with similar interests often widens social groups

Limiting Social Media Use:

Totally eliminating social media from a teenager’s life could contribute to feelings of isolation and cause distress. However, if a teenager is experiencing cyberbullying, spending a lot of time on social media could be highly damaging to their mental health. If this is the case for someone you know, you can still allow social media use – but with boundaries. 

Quality time on social media over quantity could prevent a teen from focusing on negative comments and encourage them to engage in positive online activities. You could encourage positive social media use by:

  • Aiming for daily social-media-free hours, such as during “family time” 
  • Removing access to phones before bed so social media can’t affect the quality of sleep
  • Promoting community and interest pages instead of mindless scrolling
  • Modelling healthy phone use to set a good example

Seeking Professional Mental Health Support:

Bullying can seriously affect a teenager’s well-being in both physical and emotional ways. A teenager may feel alone, hurt, ashamed, to blame – or very angry. Finding healthy outlets for these emotions can help process them in ways that limit damage to mental health and future prospects. A mental health professional can help a teenager regain a sense of control, process negative emotions, and form positive self-beliefs. 

Support for Teens Facing Bullying and Depression

Bullying can affect a teenager’s mental health in short-term ways – but it can also have an effect on their later life. What’s more, if a teenager is being bullied, but is also bullying someone else, then the effects on their mental health may be even more serious.17

Professional mental health treatment can help a teenager cope with the emotional and physical effects of being bullied – and can also get to the source of why a teen might be bullying someone else. A mental health professional can advise you or someone you love about the best therapy options for you. They may discuss the following treatment choices:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT can be very successful in treating the effects of bullying as it can help teens relax, manage stress, and challenge negative thoughts and self-beliefs that bullying can cause.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Bullying is a form of trauma that can cause low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. EMDR can help teens process this trauma and how it’s stored in the brain in a safe, supportive environment. In turn, it can help them foster more positive confidence and self-esteem.

Interpersonal Therapy

This form of therapy focuses on relationship-building skills, teaching teens healthy forms of communication and how to resolve conflict and build meaningful bonds. 

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

TMS can be effective in treating treatment-resistant depression. It’s a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to activate nerve cells in targeted areas of the brain – improving outlook and mood.

Each of these therapies can be used to treat the effects of bullying in teens in both residential mental health treatment programs and outpatient programs. Additionally, support groups or group therapy can help a teenager learn coping skills from others who have been bullied and see that they’re not alone in what they’ve gone through.

Girl seeking support for bullying and depression in teens

Mission Prep Can Help

If you’re concerned that someone you know is being bullied and it’s affecting their mental health, Mission Prep can help. Our team of trained mental health professionals can treat the emotional impact of bullying in teens, including trauma and depression treatment in various locations. Empathy is the antidote to bullying, and we can help teens feel understood, cared for, and positive about their future.

Contact us today for advice and support.

References

  1. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. (2024, March 27). One in six school-aged children experiences cyberbullying, finds new WHO/Europe study. https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/27-03-2024-one-in-six-school-aged-children-experiences-cyberbullying–finds-new-who-europe-study
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). What is bullying. StopBullying.gov. https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/what-is-bullying
  3. Kaltiala-Heino, R., & Fröjd, S. (2011). Correlation between bullying and clinical depression in adolescent patients. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 2, 37–44. https://doi.org/10.2147/AHMT.S11554
  4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Effects of bullying. StopBullying.gov. https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/effects
  5. Anderson, J. R., Mayes, T. L., Fuller, A., Hughes, J. L., Minhajuddin, A., & Trivedi, M. H. (2022). Experiencing bullying’s impact on adolescent depression and anxiety: Mediating role of adolescent resilience. Journal of Affective Disorders, 310, 477–483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.003
  6. Ye, Z., Wu, D., He, X., Ma, Q., Peng, J., Mao, G., Feng, L., & Tong, Y. (2023). Meta-analysis of the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. BMC Psychiatry, 23, 215. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04681-4
  7. Khumalo, T., & Plattner, I. E. (2019). The relationship between locus of control and depression: A cross-sectional survey with university students in Botswana. The South African Journal of Psychiatry : SAJP : the Journal of the Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa, 25, 1221. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v25i0.1221
  8. Slee, P. T. (1993). Bullying at school: It’s hard not to feel helpless. Children Australia, 18(4), 14–16. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1035077200003667
  9. Glew, G. M., Fan, Y., Katon, W., & Rivara, F. P. (2007). Bullying and School Safety. The Journal of Pediatrics, 152(1), 10.1016/j.jpeds.2007.05.045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2007.05.045
  10. Newman, M. L., Holden, G. W., & Delville, Y. (2005). Isolation and the stress of being bullied. Journal of Adolescence, 28(3), 343–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.08.002
  11. Madsen, K. R., Damsgaard, M. T., Petersen, K., Qualter, P., & Holstein, B. E. (2024). Bullying at School, Cyberbullying, and Loneliness: National Representative Study of Adolescents in Denmark. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(4), 414. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21040414
  12. Pace, K. L. (2012, September 17). Shame is often at the heart of bullying. Michigan State University Extension. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/shame_is_often_at_the_heart_of_bullying
  13. Science Daily. (2016). Wounds from childhood bullying may persist into college years, study finds. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160428135030.htm
  14. Brito, C. C., & Oliveira, M. T. (2013). Bullying and self-esteem in adolescents from public schools. Jornal de Pediatria, 89(6), 601-607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2013.04.001
  15. Kirkham, C. (2001). Self-esteem and its relationship to bullying behaviour. Aggressive Behavior, 27(4), 269-283. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.1010
  16. Hunter, S. C., Durkin, K., Boyle, J. M. E., Booth, J. N., & Rasmussen, S. (2014). Adolescent bullying and sleep difficulties. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 10(4), 687–703. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v10i4.815
  17. Smokowski, P. R., & Kopasz, K. H. (2005). Bullying in school: An overview of types, effects, family characteristics, and intervention strategies. Children and Schools, 27, 101–109.

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