In recognizing Anti-Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, which takes place on November 13th-17th, we shed light on the reciprocal relationship between bullying and mental health. Victims of bullying are at a higher risk of developing mental health struggles, while individuals already facing mental health challenges are more susceptible to experiencing bullying.
Moreover, it is imperative to acknowledge that an individual’s ethnicity also plays a significant role in these dynamics. In fact, “20% of K-12 students are bullied and race is the leading identity factor for students experiencing bullying” (1).
Anti-Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week is an important time to amplify conversations about bullying, raise awareness and promote anti-bullying discussions and strategies in the community.
Let’s take a look at the facts:
- “37% of kids associate depression with online bullying” (2).
- “The risk of depression in children and adolescents who were bullied was 2.77 times higher than those who were not bullied” (3).
- “41% of children report that their social anxiety is a result of cyberbullying” (4).
- “Black students are significantly more likely to be bullied than their white peers” (5).
- “Black or African American students experienced the most harassment or bullying on the basis of race, colour, or national origin” (1).
The long-term effects of bullying can lead to “learned helplessness,” a belief where people feel they have no control over a situation, impacting trust, self-esteem, and the development and maintenance of relationships. (7). If bullying continues to impact your daily life, affecting the way you view yourself and your relationships, we are here to help prioritize healing.
For the past 28 years, at Across Boundaries, we have been devoted to delivering mental health and addiction services rooted in anti-oppressive and anti-racist frameworks to racialized communities in the Greater Toronto Area. Mental health doesn’t have a one-size fits all approach, which is why we offer 14+ holistic programs and services in 17+ different languages to cater to people of many different backgrounds. Our initiatives encompass Social Rehabilitation, support for; the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, for the houseless, Mental Health and Justice, as well as complementary/alternative programming such as Yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine, among others.
As a non-profit, our services are completely free. If you know someone who is struggling with their mental health or an addiction, and they are 16 years of age or older, a resident in the GTA, and from a racialized group, please reach out to an intake coordinator at 416-787-3007 or email us at info@acrossboundaries.ca
Choose To Be A Source of Light
The reality is that we don’t know what somebody is going through and your words can either push them over the edge or they can be a source of light, providing hope and strength for that person to continue moving forward. Let’s choose to be sources of light. If you’re on your own healing journey and seeking inspiration, view our success stories HERE and join the Across Boundaries community. Our door is always open.