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Childhood bullying: implications for general practice.

The theme for 2016’s anti-bullying week (14–18 November) is ‘Power for Good’, with all adults who have positions of responsibility for young people being encouraged to: ‘... use their Power for Good … by valuing the difference they can make in a child’s life, and taking individual and collective action to prevent bullying and create safe environments for children to thrive.’ 1

How should general practice in the UK respond to this call to action?

Bullying is a systematic abuse of power characterised by repeated psychological or physical aggression with the intention to cause distress to another person. It is a major risk factor for both acute and long-term physical and mental health problems, as well as educational and social development.2 Bullied children are twice as likely as their non-bullied peers to experience ill-defined symptoms, such as headaches, abdominal pain, or sleep problems,3 and are at substantially increased risk of psychiatric disorders, including depression, self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide.4 The negative effects of childhood bullying are seen worldwide and persist into adulthood with ongoing mental health and socioeconomic effects that are similar to those caused by adult abuse or maltreatment.5 Although young people who are being bullied are likely to have greater healthcare needs than their non-bullied peers, research into how the experience of being bullied affects presentation at GP services and consultation rates is lacking.6

Bullying is common, with over one-half of school-aged children having had experience of being bullied.7 It affects children of both primary and secondary school age and, although often perceived as a school-based problem, childhood …