HRC Blog

Study: Psychological Effects of Bullying Can Last into Adulthood

February 21, 2013 by Eric Cameron, Digital Media Associate

A new study led by researchers at Duke Medicine provides the most definitive evidence to date that victims of childhood bullying can suffer lasting psychological harm as adults.

The comprehensive study, which draws on more than 20 years of data from a large group of participants, was published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. Researchers found that bullied children grew into adults who were at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and other psychological disorders.

Duke Medicine News writes that the study “belies a common perception that bullying, while hurtful, inflicts a fleeting injury that victims outgrow.”

Growing Up LGBT in America, HRC’s survey of more than 10,000 LGBT-identified youth ages 13-17, found that LGBT youth are more than twice as likely as non-LGBT youth to say they have been verbally harassed and called names at school. Among LGBT youth, half (51%) have been verbally harassed at school, compared to 25% among non-LGBT students.

Read more findings from HRC’s groundbreaking LGBT youth report at hrc.org/youth.