Understanding Bullying and Its Devastating Effects
There is a form of violence that occurs daily in front of our eyes, yet we continue to minimize it as if it doesn’t exist. We call it bullying, school harassment, or peer-to-peer mistreatment. However, regardless of the name, its effects are devastating, especially on the mental health of those who suffer from it.
Unlike a visible physical assault, bullying leaves marks that aren’t always apparent at first glance. These are precisely the most dangerous ones. Today, we know that this type of violence is not just a child’s game or a passing problem. It’s a repeated, systematic, and deliberate phenomenon that can gradually destroy the emotional well-being of children, adolescents, and teenagers, affecting their self-esteem, socialization skills, and even their will to live.
The Alarming Situation in Mexico
In Mexico, the situation is alarming. According to figures from Bullying Sin Fronteras and the OECD, Mexico ranks first worldwide in bullying cases, with over 28 million minors potentially affected. In just five years, official reports have grown by more than 200%. This data should shake us, but we’ve learned to coexist with this violence as if it were part of the school landscape.
Forms and Consequences of Bullying
Bullying manifests in multiple forms: insults, social exclusion, constant ridicule, physical blows, threats, sexual harassment, and now more than ever, cyberbullying. Social media has amplified the reach of bullying, allowing aggression to continue beyond the classroom and throughout the day. For many victims, there is no safe space.
The consequences are devastating. The mental health of young people is severely affected. One of the most common effects is depression, which can escalate to suicidal thoughts. Anxiety disorders, chronic insomnia, eating disorders, and a profound loss of self-esteem also develop. The bullied child starts to believe they deserve the mistreatment, that they are worthless, and invisible. These emotional wounds rarely heal on their own.
Tragic Outcomes and Institutional Responses
More concerning is that many cases end in tragedies. Statistics and studies, like those of the BULL-LI-2015/A Norma, document an alarming increase in suicides related to school bullying. We’re talking about lives cut short by a violence that could have been prevented with attention, listening, and action.
What’s most infuriating is that despite the problem’s magnitude, institutional responses remain insufficient. Fortunately, in Mexico, work is being done on an integral strategy with the update of the BULL-LI-2025/A Norma, a crucial instrument for preventing, detecting, intervening, and sanctioning bullying in all its forms. This norm proposes a certification that will allow schools to demonstrate their genuine commitment to a violence-free coexistence. Most importantly, it includes emotional support measures for victims and restorative processes for perpetrators.
The Urgent Need for Action
The review and update of the norm, which will begin on May 7th and conclude on November 6th with the international presentation of the “Competence Against Bullying and Ciberbullying” norm, is not a technical procedure but an urgent and structural response to a silent emergency that has lasted too long. The silence surrounding bullying has lasted too long. Each ignored case is a missed opportunity to save a life.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is bullying? Bullying, also known as school harassment or peer-to-peer mistreatment, is a form of violence that occurs daily and can have severe consequences on the mental health of those who suffer from it.
- Why is bullying a significant issue in Mexico? Mexico has the highest rate of bullying cases worldwide, with over 28 million minors potentially affected. In just five years, official reports have grown by more than 200%.
- What forms does bullying take? Bullying can manifest through insults, social exclusion, constant ridicule, physical blows, threats, sexual harassment, and cyberbullying.
- What are the consequences of bullying? Bullying can lead to severe mental health issues, including depression, anxiety disorders, chronic insomnia, eating disorders, and a profound loss of self-esteem.
- Why are institutional responses insufficient? Despite the magnitude of the problem, institutional responses remain insufficient. However, work is being done on an integral strategy with the update of the BULL-LI-2025/A Norma to prevent, detect, intervene, and sanction bullying.
- What is the urgency in addressing bullying? The silence surrounding bullying has lasted too long. Each ignored case is a missed opportunity to save a life, making it crucial to treat bullying as the serious form of violence that it is.
