By Marc Dellière, Medical Consultant & Trainer – Specialist in Stress, Prevention & Integrative Health
There are no visible wounds. No casts, no stitches.
And yet, in bullied children, stress sets in like a slow burn.
Every taunt, every judgmental glance, every knowing silence triggers the same reflex: run away, hide, keep quiet.
And eventually, the body learns to be afraid.
Stress that never goes away
Researchers refer to this as chronic stress.
The brain of a bullied child remains on alert, day and night.
Cortisol levels rise, breathing becomes difficult, and sleep becomes fragile.
School, supposed to be a place of learning, becomes an internal battlefield.
According to a meta-analysis published in the World Journal of Psychiatry (Moore et al., 2017), repeated victimization increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts in adolescence—effects comparable to those of trauma.
Professor Louise Arseneault (King's College London) even refers to a “biological imprint of bullying,” capable of permanently altering the circuits of fear and memory.
“I pretended to have a stomach ache...”
This is often how it starts: a child says they don't want to go to school anymore.
Behind the words lies the fear of being humiliated, isolated, and invisible again.
This daily tension wears down emotional resources: the child becomes exhausted, loses confidence, and gradually shuts down.
They no longer learn. They survive.
What protects
The data is clear: social support is a shield.
In a study conducted in London (Rothon et al., 2011), adolescents who were bullied but surrounded by friends, parents, or caring teachers had half as many symptoms of depression.
Empathy, presence, and listening are all gestures that restore inner security.
And when the school gets involved as a whole, the effects are noticeable.
A 2024 review (Hikmat et al., Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health) shows that the most effective anti-bullying programs are the ones that get the whole school community involved, from staff to students, in a supportive and cooperative way.
Rebuilding trust
Bullying is not a “formative experience.”
It is a flood of stress that damages confidence and curiosity—the two driving forces behind all learning.
Helping a student who is a victim means allowing them to relearn safety: to breathe, speak, and exist again without fear of being watched.
And this often starts with a single adult who truly listens.
In summary
Bullying is not a conflict between children.
It is repeated violence that disrupts the body and imprisons the mind.
Science proves it, but humans have known it for a long time: the stress of rejection hurts like a wound.
And kindness remains, more than ever, a form of care in its own right.
Learn more about Lactium for stress management!
Scientific sources :
- Consequences of bullying victimization in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Moore SE, Norman RE, Suetani S, Thomas HJ, Sly PD, Scott JG, 2017). World Journal of Psychiatry, 7(1):60-76. DOI:10.5498/wjp.v7.i1.60. Available here: https://www.wjgnet.com/2220-3206/full/v7/i1/60.htm Wjgnet+2PMC+2
- The persistent and pervasive impact of being bullied in childhood (Arseneault L., 2017). The British Journal of Psychiatry, etc. Available in open access on PMC: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6542665/ PMC
- Can social support protect bullied adolescents from adverse outcomes? A prospective study on the effects of bullying on the educational achievement and mental health of adolescents at secondary schools in East London (Rothon C., Head J., Klineberg E., Stansfeld S., 2011). Journal of Adolescence, 34(3):579-588. Available here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3107432/ PMC
- Meta‑analysis of the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents (2023). BMC Psychiatry, etc. Available here: https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-023-04681-4 BioMed Central