BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Children experience all types of bullying when younger, some decide to speak up while others don't. Health experts suggest talking to your child daily so they feel comfortable to open up.
- Bullying can take a toll on your mental health and physical capabilities.
- If a child is being bullied they may close off towards family and friends.
- It can happen to anyone, no matter the age, race, or gender.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Children go through a myriad of experiences at school that often go unmentioned during family dinners. While some of these experiences can be positive, others may negatively impact their mental health. I’m Eric J. Dockery, your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. As May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s essential to recognize that bullying is one of the most significant factors affecting young people's mental well-being on a daily basis.
Bullying can happen to anyone regardless of age or race. It can take a toll on your mental health and physical capabilities due to the stress that has been inflicted on your daily life.
Evita Limon-Rocha Child Adolescence and Adult Psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente said "It can affect your sleep, appetite, mood or irritability, and connection with family. Those are things we can see short term. Long term results from bullying can increase depression, and anxiety. Depending on the level of bullying individuals can develop symptoms of trauma."
Annyaleese Linder is a freshman in high school at IQ Academy, she says she experienced bullying at a younger age. She tells me how it affected her daily life and why she had to get out of that atmosphere.
"It made me really sad and depressed. I was really anxious, the old school that I was going to they gave up on me, they made me feel unsupported and alone." said Annyaleese
Evita Limon-Rocha said "There are so many stressful things in the world. Whether it be academics, and they need support with grades and teachers. Or it could be challenging with classmates and piers at the school setting."
Healthcare professionals tell me it’s important for parents to put aside time in the day where they can talk to their students about their days. Some students may be ashamed and feel like they have no one to turn to.
Brittnee Linder-Orocco Annyalesse Parent said "She was trying to quietly cope with things, but you could tell things were off. She just kind of withdrew, she got quiet, she would stick to herself didn’t want to talk to anybody."
It’s recommended that parents ask their kids these questions to get them comfortable with wanting to speak about their day.
- Tell me what you did on the playground today?
- What made you smile today?
- What made your day?
- What was difficult about your day?
"Swapping schools and seeing her confidence come back has been worth it. She went from completely failing every class getting a F. She wasn’t able to concentrate; she didn’t want to be there. She went from all Fs to graduating early." said Brittnee
Evita said "When we don’t feel comfortable it's important that we speak up about it immediately. So it can be addressed by the people we love like parents and caregivers. It also allows people to be able to step in and help."
Experts recommend that parents utilize resources like the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) for guidance on addressing bullying and offering parental support. For 23ABC, I’m Eric J. Dockery, your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter.
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