Bullying in School Causes Teen Girl to Develop Anorexia

August 11th, 2010 | Add a Comment

Bullying in school has become an increasingly big problem across the country. A concerned mother filed a lawsuit against the Pittsburgh, P.A. Schools last August. This lawsuit was in behalf of her 15 year old daughter, who developed the eating disorder anorexia as a result of bullying.The bullying went on when she was in 6th and 7th grade and was non-stop. The harassment included comments about her weight and calling her fat. Her mother noticed something horribly wrong and then entered her daughter into an inpatient treatment program.

Bullying is a common theme found in any school but when it comes down to the intense verbal and physical abuse as witnessed in this case the school really needs to take action. From my opinion, school employees don’t worry too much about what goes on in between classes, and that is an issue. The early teen years are the most vital to the body and mind when growing up and peer rejection and acceptance are important to the teen psyche.

Thomas Cash, author of The Body Image Workbook, writes that, “The teen years are a tough time for body image. Teenagers’ feelings of social adequacy depend in part on how they think their appearance is perceived by peers.” This statement I can definitely relate too. When I was in my high school years, I would hate to be made fun of and act out differently so people would like me. The bullies did bully me but I got through it only by acting a certain way so they would accept me. This to me, is a common theme found on any school campus, and needs to come to an end.

Still, the issue is not the lawsuit that was settled but the fact that bullying in schools can lead to students feeling uneasy about themselves which could lead to self destructive behavoir.