The academic impact on bullied students

The social and emotional impact of bullying on a child are well documented but there has been less research dedicated to examining how it can affect academic performance. However, following a survey from the MurdochChildren’s Research Institute (MCRI), results have indicated that students being bullied scored worse on NAPLAN tests than those who didn’t.

This wasn’t the only conclusion to be drawn. One in four bully victims were between six and months behind fellow pupils from an academic standpoint, as were children who were experiencing physical bullying. Furthermore, female students were found to be increasingly vulnerable to verbal bullying, while similar treatment had little effect on their male counterparts.

The study surveyed 965 students in the mid-to-upper levels of primary school, an age group where students are renowned for first becoming disinterested in school.