New study finds bullied children more likely to develop trust issues

A landmark new study has revealed that bullied children are more likely to develop trust and mental health problems later in life.

Children who are bullied by their peers are more likely to develop trust issues as teens and suffer significant mental health problems as adults.

The results of an international study published overnight have confirmed for the first time how bullying in childhood can lead to distrust and mental health problems in late adolescence.

The study of more than 10,000 children found that by their teens, many who were bullied had developed a strong distrust of people that often progressed to anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and anger.

The researchers looked at data collected over two decades as part of the ongoing Millennium Cohort Study. This unique study follows a group of children born in the United Kingdom from the year 2000.

This latest research is co-led by George Slavich, Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA in Los Angeles and Dr Dimitris Tsomokos, a researcher at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Published in Nature Mental Health, they wrote that teens who experienced bullying and developed distrust of others were 3.5 times more likely to experience clinically significant mental health issues by the age of 17.

New study could help schools develop interventions to counter the negative impacts of bullying. Image: Supplied.

Dr Slavich said the results of the study could help schools develop interventions to counter the negative impacts of bullying.

Victoria University (VU) researchers Associate Professors Nina Van Dyke and Fiona MacDonald say bullying has increased in many schools and also online following Covid.

Their work is focused on children and young people and how social and cultural influences impact them.

The pair developed a world-first self-assessment tool, commissioned for the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, which is being used in 89 per cent of Victorian schools. The tool helps schools monitor their preparedness and readiness to respond to bullying or cyber-bullying.

“Many school staff say they often feel overwhelmed trying to deal with it (bullying). Several said that they felt they were making progress before Covid, but since then things had gotten worse,” Associate Professor Van Dyke said.

The researchers say bullying can be subtle and difficult to detect. Image: Supplied.

Associate Professor MacDonald said that many Victorian schools were crying out for guidance, but added bullying needed to be a whole of community responsibility.

The VU researchers said the latest eSafety Commissioner’s survey identified a 40 per cent jump in cyber-bullying of young Australian teens in 2023.

“It is an ongoing issue,” Associate Professor MacDonald said.

“Schools have a legal and ethical responsibility to provide a safe learning environment free from bullying. However, not all schools have systems in place to effectively prevent bullying from occurring or respond to if bullying does occur.”

She said bullying can also be subtle, and difficult to detect.

“It can be a child being excluded, or even eye rolling. In isolation this isn’t bullying, but it is being able to monitor those signs and being aware,” Associate Professor MacDonald.

She said students also need to feel, if they do speak up, that they will be trusted and heard.

“The message is that everyone has a responsibility to address bullying and create schools as safe environments for all.”