Bully trauma lasts for life
Being bullied at a young age is one of the most common traumas appearing in adult life, a Kalgoorlie-Boulder clinical psychologist says.
The comment comes on the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence, after Kids Helpline revealed one in four young people were now the target of bullies.
Clinical psychologist Genevieve Milnes, who has been working in Kalgoorlie once a month for the past 10 years, said the impacts of school-aged bullying often manifested in mental health issues in adult life.
"It's actually one of the biggest traumas that often comes up when people access therapy," she told the _Kalgoorlie Miner _ .
"When I explore it further it has had a significant impact on a person's life.
Cyber bullying has come under the spotlight at this year's National Day of Action, and Kids Helpline said it was one of the most common forms of bullying.
Kids Helpline said victims should take action against bullies by blocking them on online profiles and keeping copies of abusive messages for evidence.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder clinical psychologist Christina Petz said parents should look out for significant changes in a child's behaviour as an indication they might be the victim of bullying.
Ms Petz said concerning changes included becoming moody or withdrawing, becoming angry quickly, crying, refusing to go on the computer, and how they acted once off computers.
Eastern Goldfields College Senior School Campus deputy principal Pippa Baxter said the school had strategies in place to stop situations from escalating.
"Sadly, a lot of issues do occur out of school that then come into school … social media plays a part in that," she said .
"The reality is … we are the ones that support parents and students in dealing with it.
"We are very confident … when an issue arises, we work very hard with people to resolve those issues and, touch wood, it is a rare incident."
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Community High School principal Vicky Bogensperger said the effective management of school behaviour, including bullying, was a significant focus for the school.
It's actually one of the biggest traumas that often comes up when people access therapy.
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Genevieve Milnes *
