Mental and physical intimidation (bullying) while young increases the probability of mental illness as an adult. That's the conclusion of a recent study.
"Bullying may be more scarring than child maltreatment because while society recognizes child abuse as a serious problem, and supports its victims, people just don't see bullying the same way, Wolke said. "There're still people out there who think that bullying is a normal rite of passage — you go through and toughen up, etc.," he said.
But bullying leaves people with poor self-esteem and a lasting sense of distrust of other people, he told Live Science. "Being socially excluded and being a social outcast is about the worst stress that we can experience, more than other pains."
Although people are becoming more aware of how harmful bullying can be, efforts in the United .States. to tackle the problem are spotty, said William Copeland, an associate professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, who helped conduct the study. "I think it's often the case that children that are bullied are not always supported in that, and told to deal with it themselves," Copeland said."
Reference: http://www.livescience.com/50641-bullying-child-maltreatment-mental-health.html?
Many elders within the J/witness organisation excuse their bullying tactics, with the excuse that they are being strong for Jehovah. Which may partly explain why so many young people are leaving the witness organisation.