Peer Bullying Can Shape How Teens See Themselves a Year Later
A study tracked more than 300 Brazilian adolescents across two school years. Students who reported being victimized by peers had more negative self-views the next year, and this link was explained by victimization continuing over time. The findings point to lasting effects of classroom mistreatment on adolescents' self-image.
Researchers surveyed more than 300 teens in Curitiba, Brazil, across two consecutive school years. Students reported how often classmates taunted, insulted, or ridiculed them, and answered items about shame, self-doubt, inadequacy, and low self-worth.
Most disagreed with negative statements about themselves, and early self-ratings strongly predicted later ones. Nearly 40% said mistreatment was frequent. Earlier mistreatment predicted poorer self-ratings a year later, but the link was explained by ongoing and accumulating mistreatment.
The findings could prompt schools and families to view repeated classroom mistreatment as a factor in adolescents’ self-image, not merely a passing conflict. Teens who are persistently teased or excluded may be especially affected, and educators may see value in earlier monitoring and support. Because the study is observational and limited to one Brazilian city, its societal implications may be most useful as a prompt for local prevention and further research rather than a universal prediction.