DURHAM, N.C., April 12 (UPI) -- A U.S. researcher says children who were bullied may suffer the effects into adulthood.
William Copeland of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and colleagues studied 20 years of data on about 1,400 people who were tracked into their mid-20s.
Copeland said bullied kids were more likely to have anxiety problems such as panic disorder as adults. Children who were both bullied and also bullied others were more likely to have depression, panic disorder and suicidal thoughts.
Copeland said parents should check in with their kids so they can help them get help.
"For parents, this means making bullying and peer relations something you talk about with your kids on a regular basis: 'Hey, how are things going at school? Are any kids giving you a hard time?'" Copeland suggested parents ask their kids.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's Psychiatry.
