Psychological therapy for children who are victims of bullying: what is it like?

Unfortunately, therapy for child victims of bullying is still necessary. Currently, this intervention takes on a fundamental role, since bullying does not end when the child leaves the classroom, but can continue through the networks.

A derived trauma interferes with the child’s social and personality development.. To preserve your psychological well-being and self-esteem (and, sometimes, your life), therapy is necessary.

What is bullying?

Bullying has a great impact on the child who suffers from it.

Harassment is a form of relationship in which inequality translates into abuse. In the school environment, it manifests itself as aggressive, intentional, repetitive attitudes towards a classmate.

Although the first image that comes to mind may be that of physical aggression, the truth is that the violence that predominates in the bullying It is the emotional one. Therefore, the stalker seeks the psychological suffering of his victim through several means:

Verbal: insults and nicknames, public humiliation, contempt for one’s physical appearance, etc.Social: The victim is isolated through exclusion from the rest of his peers.Virtual: the known cyberbullying It brings together ridicule, insults and other forms of public degradation through the internet and social networks.Physical: violence through hitting, pushing, kicking, etc. This includes the destruction of belongings.

Consequences of the harassment situation

Victims of bullying They are susceptible to developing self-esteem problems, anxiety and depression disorders, and school phobia, among others.. An impact that often ends up lasting into adult life, especially when the person has not been able to create a story that helps them about what has happened to them.

Socialization can also be greatly hampered, since the abusive situation prevents the child from developing the appropriate tools to relate to others. Mental health is, in general, deteriorated as a whole.

In the most serious cases, victims have committed suicide or attempted suicide. He bullying It is a serious situation that must be addressed as soon as possible and with drastic measures, dedicating all possible support to its prevention.

What is the therapy for children who are victims of bullying?

Since bullying situations are often detected when the victim is already suffering, it is normal to find a large repertoire of somatizations and psychological damage. Therefore, therapy for child victims of bullying It focuses on recovering the pillars of its identity.

Although each case must be studied individually, Treatment usually focuses on strengthening and recovering certain aspects of the child’s personality. They are the ones you have below:

Trauma management.Treatment for anxiety and depression.Strengthening self-esteem and self-confidence.Development of social skills.Improvement of communication skills.Management and emotional intelligence.

It must be taken into account that the harassment situation produces a repetitive dynamic in which the victim suffers more and more, since the violence on the part of the harasser escalates regardless of his actions.

If the child remains silent, he suffers greater abuse due to a lack of consequences, but if he confronts the bully, the consequences also escalate.

Psychological therapy can help children who are victims of bullying strengthen their self-esteem.

The victim is not the only one who must be treated

Although therapy for child victims of bullying It is essential to redirect your mental health, we must not forget that there are many more agents involved in the harassment process. The bully himself, the parents, the center, the institutions and society itself are involved in the problem of bullying.

Therefore, if you think that your child is suffering from this situation, do not hesitate to take him to therapy, but do not forget about everyone else either. It is necessary to involve aggressors in the prevention and recovery process, as well as demand better measures from institutions. against this very harmful phenomenon.

And, above all, we must not forget that, as members of society, it is our responsibility to condemn these acts and educate in respect. The times of “it’s just kid stuff” are over: it’s time for action.

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