Social media, anonymous messaging apps and text messaging have assumed a dominant role in communication among teens society. And, as common in teenage social environments, these circumstances often involve online teasing and harassing.
An article in Psych Central News points to research conducted in Norway and published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology that points to increasing evidence that bullying at school can lead to PTSD in children and teens.
The study measured the extent of intrusive memories and avoidance behavior, two of three defined PTSD symptoms. The third, physiological stress activation, was not covered.
“Traumatic experiences or strains imposed on us by others can often hurt more than accidents,” said Dr. Thormod Idsøe from the University of Stavanger (UiS) and Bergen’s Center for Crisis Psychology. “That could be why so many pupils report such symptoms.” The PTSD symptoms can make it difficult to concentrate and have a disruptive effect on daily life, preventing those who are bullied from functioning normally, according to the researcher.
“Pupils who’re constantly plagued by thoughts about or images of painful experiences, and who use much energy to suppress them, will clearly have less capacity to concentrate on schoolwork,” he said. “Nor is this usually easy to observe — they often suffer in silence.”
Photo Credit: Amanda Dorner via Flickr
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