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.
- Switching Mediterranean Consumers to Mediterranean Sustainable Healthy Dietary Patternson September 28, 2023 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Healthy Subjects; Behavior, Health; Family Interventions: Device: AI-based Apps; Behavioral: Mediterranean-based diet toolkit and activities; Other: Healthy plant-based snacks; Other: AI-based Apps + Mediterranean-based diet toolkit and activities; Other: AI-based Apps + Healthy plant-based snacks; Other: Mediterranean-based diet toolkit and activities + Healthy plant-based snacks; Other: AI-based Apps + Mediterranean-based diet toolkit and activities + Healthy plant-based snacks Sponsors: Fundació Eurecat; Centre de Recerca en Economia i Desenvolupament Agroalimentari-UPC-IRTA (CREDA); Unité Mixte de Recherche en Nutrition et Alimentation, Université Ibn Tofail (CNESTEN); Bursa Uludag University (BUU) 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
- Forging Hopeful Futures to Reduce Youth Violenceon February 24, 2023 at 5:00 am
Conditions: Violence in Adolescence; Racism; Adolescent Behavior; Coping Skills; Communication, Social; Communication, Personal; Violence, Sexual; Violence, Non-accidental; Violence, Physical; Violence, Gender-Based Interventions: Behavioral: Forging Hopeful Futures; Behavioral: Wellness Check-ins Sponsors: University of Pittsburgh; Population Council; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Recruiting
- Evaluating the Back 2 School Program in a Norwegian Setting: A Multicenter Pilot Studyon December 12, 2022 at 5:00 am
Conditions: Absence; School Phobia; Truancy; Socialized; Depression, Anxiety Interventions: Behavioral: The Back 2 School program for problematic school absenteeism Sponsors: University of Tromso; UiT The Arctic University of Norway; NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS; Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse; University of Bergen; University of Stavanger; Norwegian University of Science and Technology Recruiting
- Efficacy of a Multi-level School Intervention for LGBTQ Youthon September 15, 2022 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Depression; Anxiety; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Coping Behavior; Sexual Minority Stress; Suicidality; Substance Use; Bullying; Harassment Interventions: Behavioral: Proud & Empowered Sponsors: Washington University School of Medicine; National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD); University of Southern California Recruiting
- Coaching Late Elementary School Teachers in Bullying Detection and Intervention (Bullying Classroom Check-Up)on April 11, 2022 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Intervention; Control Interventions: Behavioral: BCCU Sponsors: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; University of Virginia; Sheppard Pratt Health System Recruiting
- A Naturalistic Trial of the Norwegian Sickness Absence Clinic. The NSAC Efficacy Studyon April 5, 2022 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Musculoskeletal Disorder; Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Fatigue; Pain; Occupational Exposure; Work Related Stress; Workplace Bullying; Employment; Sickness Absence; Return to Work Interventions: Other: NSAC - rapid; Other: NSAC - ordinary; Other: NSAC - active control Sponsors: Nordlandssykehuset HF; University Hospital of North Norway; Helsepartner Rehabilitering AS (Alta, Norway); Helgelandssykehuset HF; Finnmarkssykehuset HF (Kirkenes, Norway); UiT The Arctic University of Norway Recruiting
- A Trial of Neurofeedback as an Adjunctive Treatment for Youth in Outpatient Mental Health Settingson May 4, 2021 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Trauma Interventions: Behavioral: Neurofeedback Intervention; Behavioral: standard of care Sponsors: University of Rochester 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