Bullying Tied to Physical Illness Among Children

Bullying can lead to psychosomatic illness among children apart from mental disorders like depression and anxiety; a latest study published in the journal 'Pediatrics' states.

Researchers at University of Padua, Italy, analyzed 30 studies that included 219,000 children and youngsters. The results showed that children who were bullied were twice more likely to have psychosomatic problems such as headaches, stomach pains, dizziness, bedwetting and sleep problems.

"This meta-analysis confirmed the findings of former (research) with a much larger sample of studies and participants -- from several countries around the world," study researcher Gianluca Gini of the department of developmental and social psychology at the University of Padua, Italy, told Huffington Post.

However, the research was not specific on the details regarding effects of various types of bullying such as verbal, cyber or physical. It also did not mention whether age of the children was correlated to the severity of the condition.

The study authors maintained that emotional ordeal due to bullying led to physical problems in some cases.

Usually, psychosomatic problems in children are dismissed as imaginary or "fake" reasons given by children to skip schools or classes. But the physical symptoms of the condition are real and should be intervened as early as possible, reported the Examiner.

Researchers advised parents to take these symptoms seriously as these can be an indication of bullying at school.

Latest statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that around 20 percent of U.S. high schoolers were bullied. Bullying can also prove fatal at times. In a recent case, a 12-year-year-old Florida girl committed suicide following constant cyber-cullying by at least 15 girls for over a year.