Recognition of bullying’s widespread incidence and potential consequences is prompting parents, teachers, and health professionals to more seriously address the problem in efforts to curtail it. The National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics have announced that between one and three U.S. students report being bullied at school. As the problem spreads through cell phone use, social media, and the internet, new research indicates that the prevention of high school bullying could provide over $1 million in lifetime benefits per individual. Other research suggests that bullying may cause physical changes in the brain and increase the chance of mental illness, which can prove to be costly both emotionally and financially in the long run.

             A new study finds that children who were bullied frequently were more likely to develop a psychiatric disorder that needed treatment as an adult. The ever-increasing use of technology both eases and complicates our own lives and those of our children as experiences of cyber-bullying make abundantly clear. Please contact Plains Area Mental Health to schedule a consultation. We are proud of the many benefits and services we provide for people of all ages across the region.   Call one of our offices to schedule an appointment today.

P.S. The research mentioned above reveals that bullied individuals may experience shrinkage in the part of the brain responsible for processing memories as well as the part of the brain that regulates movement and affects learning.

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