I recently received a reader question asking how a child who is normally outgoing and friendly could develop social anxiety disorder (SAD). One potential factor that has been identified is bullying. A recent study published in the Journal of Physiology and Behavior demonstrates how bullying can lead to social anxiety.
Researchers at Rockefeller University in New York subjected mice to psychological stress (mice are believed to have similar responses to stress as humans). A young mouse was placed in a cage with a different older and larger mouse each day for 10 days. In each case the mouse "bully" would start a fight with the newcomer.
What did they find when they looked at the brains of the bullied mice after these incidents? Researchers looked at the amygdala and lateral septum, and found that genes had been activated that caused an increase in receptors that make the brain more sensitive to social stimuli. In this particular case, the hormone vasopressin was to blame.
Indeed, after the incident, the bullied mice were more likely to stay away from other mice; even those who were friendly. The study shows how people who are bullied may feel afraid even when in safe situations and may have trouble starting friendships.
On a positive note, the study investigators recognize that the brain is dynamic and can be changed in a positive way through medication, therapy, and positive supportive friendships. At the end of the study they gave the bullied mice medication to reduce the impact of vasopressin.
What do you think? Has your child been bullied? Were you bullied as a youngster? Do you think that this has contributed to you or your child developing social anxiety?
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I was bullied by a lot of my peers growing up, and I believe it was a major contributor to me developing SAD. I was also bullied by my mother, and it wasn’t until much later in life that I learned how to stand up for myself. My husband and I are raising our son in a much different way from how I was raised, and I am hoping that our parenting approach will, among other things, help our son be confident in himself and not develop SAD.
Bullying at a young age is so unfortunate and has been proven to be a factor in the development of character and confidence. Cyber-bullying is especially pernicious and damaging because of the ferocity teenagers project online.
Hopefully more steps will be taken like the ones President Obama has in this .
What makes someone become a bully? Is it because they may like the person they are bullying and don’t know to get their attention? Could it be because the bullier has low self esteem? Or are these kids just phycologically damaged? I would like to know because I was bullied in Jr High & partially in Sr High. It had a negative affect on my self esteem that has taken years to overcome. And when I hear that someone who was bullied commited suicide, I become very angry and blame the parents for not takening appropaite care of their kids, the teachers who had to know, because the teachers in Jr high with me knew and did NOTHING!!!!!!!! BULLYING should be considered illegal, it is the rape of a persons phycological well being. It should be punishable with 10+ years in a federal prison.
I was bullied a lot as a kid especially through out elementary school. And i didn’t really notice my social anxiety till high school. But i believe that to be a contributor. But i also had a parent that was emotionally and sometimes physically abusive. And it really put me down.
They’d always tell me how i would never be a good girlfriend / wife someday and now i have commitment issues as well.
And they’d constantly tell me how stupid i was and my grades would go down too.
I didn’t really think all that could be a contribution to my problem, but now that i’m recognizing i have one I’m trying to find the cause of it because i used to be SOOOO OUTGOING and now i barely have any friends. But yea bullying does play a big factor in it.