One of the major factors in substance abuse among children and teens is bullying. Kids will often start using drugs or drinking in order to drown out feelings of depression, low self-esteem, and isolation. They may also do it as a way to fit in, if they think their peers will accept them if they show they know how to have a “good time.”
One study looked at the link between bullying, depression, and substance abuse in 1,495 tenth graders. Substance abuse in this case meant drinking alcohol, being drunk, smoking cigarettes, and using marijuana in the previous 30 days. The kids were asked how often they had been bullied at school in the past couple of months, with nine different methods or bullying accounted for: physical, teasing, race-related, religion, sexual joke, exclusion, rumor, computer, and cell phone. They were then asked how often in the past 30 days they: were very sad, were grouchy, irritable, or in a bad mood, felt hopeless about the future, felt like not eating or ate more than usual, slept significantly more or less than usual, and had difficulty concentrating on their school work. The results showed that bullying led to both substance abuse in both boys and girls, and the resultant depression further exacerbated the effects for girls only.
It’s possible that some of the factors that go into bullying account for substance abuse on their own. For example, consider some of the reasons a child might be bullied: their parents have a low income, meaning that they aren’t as clean or healthy as other kids; they come from a bad part of town, where substance abuse and crime are common; they have some sort of physical or mental disability; or they fall on the LGBT spectrum, just to list a few.
There are steps that can be taken to prevent bullying in schools. Both the staff and students should be educated on what bullying is, the things that cause it, and how to prevent or stop it. The topic can be inserted into the curriculum in a variety of ways, like discussions, presentations, creative writing, artwork, or research.
If you do see a kid being bullied, you should respond quickly and consistently. Intervene – if you’re a teen yourself, find an adult to help – and separate everyone involved. Make sure everyone is safe and no one needs medical attention. Don’t just ignore it and assume the kids will work it out on their own; there’s always the possibility to escalate into violence. You may need to call the police if anyone has a weapon, or there is serious bodily harm or threats of bodily harm, or if the bullying seems to be hate-related, like racism or homophobia.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504 to get started.
