Challenges in Emerging Adulthood Related to the Impact of Childhood Bullying Victimization

Abstract

Findings from interviews with 15 emerging adults ( M age = 29.00, SD = .37) subjected to bullying victimization as children and suffering from poor psychological health in emerging adulthood revealed experiences of a very long duration of victimization, coping through adaptation to the bullying, and experiences of not receiving help from school personnel. Many participants described experiences of depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts during the school-years victimization. They perceived several direct long-term consequences of the victimization in emerging adulthood: feelings of insecurity; actively avoiding social situations; an identity formed into viewing oneself as worthless; and body-image problems. Additionally, many of them still felt anger towards school personnel who they remembered as not stopping the victimization. A longitudinal and prospective design enabled insights into victims’ experiences of both the childhood victimization as well as perceived long-term consequences on their emerging adulthood – and into how the victims experience that these aspects might be related.