Are teased children affected as teens

When Children are teased in their elementary school years, does it have an affect on them in their teenage years, and what are some of the ways they might be affected?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Ms. Nasser,

There is no simple, straightforward answer to your question. If someone experiences teasing during childhood, it does not predict a particular course during the teen years. Now, it is fair to say that persistent teasing during childhood years is going to pose problems, but the precise nature of these will vary greatly. Much has been written on this topic, and you might investigate some of the literature. You can start by going to the home page of this Forum, and use the SEARCH function to check available abstracts on MEDLINE.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Ms. Nasser,

There is no simple, straightforward answer to your question. If someone experiences teasing during childhood, it does not predict a particular course during the teen years. Now, it is fair to say that persistent teasing during childhood years is going to pose problems, but the precise nature of these will vary greatly. Much has been written on this topic, and you might investigate some of the literature. You can start by going to the home page of this Forum, and use the SEARCH function to check available abstracts on MEDLINE.