Repeated bullying can affect 49 brain regions The largest study on this issue, involving 2,049 adolescents, reveals that this form of abuse may impact memory, learning, and motor control The transition from childhood to adulthood during adolescence is a complex process. Bullying — manifesting as social exclusion, verbal abuse , and physical violence —adds another layer of stress for young people at this stage. The largest pan-European study to date, involving 2,049 victims, reveals that bullying — which affects one in three students worldwide — also impacts brain development.
The study, published in the journal bioRxiv , indicates that at least 49 brain regions responsible for memory, learning, and motor control may be affected. Michael Connaughton, a researcher at Trinity College, and colleagues from the PRADO research group analyzed responses to a five-item questionnaire and MRI scans of adolescents aged 14, 19, and 22 from Germany, Ireland, the U.K.
, and France. While previous studies have established that bullying leads to detrimental mental health consequences that often persist into adulthood, this research suggests that bullying may influence overall brain development. The study also identified differences in how boys and girls respond to bullying.
The co-author of the study, Darren Brody, from the Department of Psychiatry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, posits that these differences may stem from the types of aggression typically experienced by ea.