Teens, Bullying & Substance Abuse: 4 Things Parents Need to Know! by Donna John

Bullying can lead to emotional trauma and pain. As a result, some teens may unfortunately turn to dangerous coping mechanisms such as alcohol and drug use, which can lead to larger mental health and addiction problems down the road. Newport Academy, a facility that provides teens and their families with the highest-quality care and treatment for trauma, mental health issues, eating disorders and substance abuse, shares these facts parents need to know:

• Teens who are bullied have a greater risk of developing mental health disorders, including depression, panic attacks, anxiety and agoraphobia.
• Both male and female bullying victims consider suicide more often than their non-bullied peers.
• Bullied teens tend to drink alcohol when alone, rather than in social settings compared to non-bullied peers.
• Victims of bullying smoke cigarettes and marijuana in higher percentages than students who are not involved in bullying.

To learn more about bullying and teens, click here!