What is Bullying?
Bullying is aggressive behavior that most commonly takes place between school-aged children. It may be physical or psychological, but all bullying is unwanted. It always includes perceived power imbalances: Students bullied are often made to feel unpopular or “outcast.”
Bullying can persist into adulthood, especially in the workplace. It is most prevalent in environments with strict hierarchy of authority.
Contributions and viewpoints of the victims are minimized to exercise control over them.
Adult bullying can contribute to a toxic work environment and may feed into criminal behaviors like assault. Becoming the victim of a bully can damage a person’s career, especially if the bully is a supervisor.
“Cyberbullying” refers to a similar pattern of intimidating behavior brought online. It happens most frequently among young people on social media platforms and mobile apps. However, organized online harassment and “trolling” can be considered forms of bullying.
What Conditions is Bullying Associated With?
Bullying can have serious psychological consequences. This is true whether or not individual episodes are intense or violent. It can also affect any person. Some groups, like LGBT and racial minorities, are more frequently targeted at any age.
Bullied children are more likely to suffer chronic mood disorders like anxiety and depression. Severe bullying can result in conditions including PTSD or development of fears and phobias, like social anxiety or agoraphobia.
Stress, loss of confidence, and sleep disturbances are common results for bullied adults. Since cyberbullying can leave a person of any age afraid of its future consequences, it also has a major negative effect on quality of life.
What Research Currently Exists Around Bullying?
Clinical research on bullying focuses on reducing its impact. Bullying research can be thought of as part of research on trauma. For example, prolonged trauma can result in brain changes that make it harder to regulate emotions or organize long-term effort.
Therapies for bullying victims range from medications to counseling.
In clinical studies on bullying, new medications are being pioneered. These may help victims adapt to stressful situations and enhance the effect of counseling. Counseling is aimed at giving victims a greater sense of personal agency and emotional resilience.
In some cases, as when a workplace has been heavily compromised by bullying, it may be necessary for an adult victim to leave that environment as part of safeguarding mental health. Online habits can also be adjusted to improve well-being.
Why Are Further Bullying Clinical Trials Important?
As bullying has become more widespread, the idea it is a “normal part of childhood” is being challenged by medical research. Rather than telling victims they must ignore it or “toughen up,” it is crucial to manage the measurable health effects of bullying.
At the same time, clinical practitioners are recognizing the prevalence and seriousness of adult bullying. This is a relatively new research area with many questions to answer. New studies must be conducted that focus on the problems of adult bullying.
Current Bullying Clinical Trials
In a recent study, about 49% of students in grades 4-12 reported being bullied. Perhaps surprisingly, 31% of adults surveyed said they had been bullied. 43% said the behavior had become more accepted over the last year.
This has serious health implications. More clinical resources for bullying are essential to mental health as people of all ages face greater pressures and a digital environment that extends bullying into the home.
- A Transdiagnostic Mentalization-based Intervention for Parents With Mental Disorderson March 18, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Mental Disorder; Behavior Disorders; Diagnosis, Psychiatric; Diagnosis Dual; Severe Mental Disorder; Mental Illness; Psychiatric Disorder; Psychiatric Disease; Psychiatric Illness Interventions: Behavioral: Lighthouse MBT Parenting Program (LPP); Behavioral: Care as usual (CAU) Sponsors: Mental Health Services in the Capital Region, Denmark; University of Copenhagen Recruiting
- Cyberbullying Awareness Training for Secondary School Studentson January 12, 2024 at 5:00 am
Conditions: Cyberbullying Interventions: Behavioral: Cyberbullying Awareness Training Sponsors: Maltepe University Recruiting
- Selective Prevention Transdiagnostic Intervention for At-risk Adolescents With Booster Sessions. (PROCARE+ 2.0)on December 29, 2023 at 5:00 am
Conditions: Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms Depressive Symptoms; Risk Factors (Rejection, Bullying/Cyberbullying, Addictions, Healthy Lifestyle Habits, Exam Stress Management, Ecoanxiety, Expressed Emotion) Interventions: Behavioral: PROCARE+ 2.0 two booster sessions.; Behavioral: PROCARE+ 2.0 one booster session.; Behavioral: PROCARE+ 2.0 without booster sessions Sponsors: University of Jaén; Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche; University Rovira i Virgili Recruiting
- Evaluating the Effectiveness of a School-based Intervention to Improve the Wellbeing of Children Aged 10 to 13 Years.on November 18, 2023 at 5:00 am
Conditions: Well-Being, Psychological; Child, Only Interventions: Behavioral: A Lust for Life; Behavioral: Waiting List Control Sponsors: University College Dublin Recruiting
- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a School-based Intervention to Improve the Wellbeing of Children Aged 8-11 Years.on November 18, 2023 at 5:00 am
Conditions: Well-Being, Psychological; Child, Only Interventions: Behavioral: A Lust for Life; Behavioral: Waiting List Control Sponsors: University College Dublin Recruiting
- Multimodal Longitudinal and Predictive Modelling to Understand Eating Disorder Developmenton September 22, 2023 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Binge-Eating Disorder; Anorexia Nervosa; Bulimia Nervosa Interventions: Other: MRI scans; Other: Psychological measures; Other: Life experiences; Biological: Blood and urine samples; Other: Mental health symptoms Sponsors: King's College London; Delosis Limited; NeuroSpin Recruiting
- Be-Prox. An Effectiveness Study of Bullying Intervention in Norwegian Kindergartens.on September 15, 2023 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Bullying of Child Interventions: Behavioral: Be-Prox Sponsors: NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS; University of Tromso; Bjørnafjorden municipality; Narvik municipality Recruiting
- BullyDown, a Text Messaging-based Bullying Prevention Program for Middle School-aged Youthon August 30, 2023 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Bullying Interventions: Behavioral: BullyDown; Behavioral: Attention-matched control Sponsors: Center for Innovative Public Health Research; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Recruiting
- Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment: Impact Evaluation of a Safe Space-Based Life Skills Training and Digital Literacy Training in Nigeria Space-Based Life Skills Training and Digital Literacy Training in Nigeriaon July 19, 2023 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Adolescent Behavior; Life Skills; Digital Skills; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Earning Outcomes Interventions: Other: Safe Space based life skills training program; Other: Safe Space based life skills training program + Digital Skills Sponsors: World Bank Recruiting
- PLANTS Pilot Trialon June 9, 2023 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Alcohol Drinking; Social Acceptance; Depressive Symptoms; Bullying Interventions: Behavioral: PLANTS; Behavioral: EMAILS Sponsors: University of Pittsburgh; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Recruiting
- Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based Study of Electroconvulsive Efficacy Prediction in Adolescents With Depression: a Multicenter Prospective Cohort Studyon June 5, 2023 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Electroconvulsive Therapy Interventions: Device: Modified Electroconvulsive Therapy; Drug: Conventional pharmacotherapy Sponsors: First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University; Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University Recruiting
- Addressing School-related Gender-based Violence as Part of the Keeping Girls in School Initiative in Zambiaon May 3, 2023 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Gender-based Violence Interventions: Behavioral: Empowerment Pilot Sponsors: World Bank Recruiting
Conclusion
The majority of American adults experience sleep disturbances at some point in life. With that in mind, clinical trials on sleep truly affect everyone. Unfortunately, sleep disorders are under-diagnosed – and those who suffer often do not pursue treatment. Participating in clinical studies on sleep is one way to help ensure you, and others, will rest better.
Sources
- https://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/index.html
- https://www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html
- https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/complex-ptsd/
- https://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/questions-answered/how-is-bullying-defined.asp
- https://www.psycom.net/effects-of-bullying
- https://www.verywellfamily.com/bullying-impact-415733
- http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/adult-bullying.html
- http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/workplace-bullying.html
- https://doctorsthatdo.osteopathic.org/adult-bullying-survey-finds-31-americans-bullied-adult