The Age of beingBullied and Its Effect

The age at whichkids first fall victim to bullying（欺辱）could influence how strongly they are affected,suggests a newstudy.And,surprisingly,it is not the youngest kids

who are hurt themost in the long term. Bullying can have long-lasting effects,but particularlywhen it begins in adolescence（青春期）,the researchers say.

People subjected toeither oral or physical bullying are known to be at greater risk for developingdepression,anxiety disorders or to behave violently.But not everyone reacts

in this way.Childrenbullied for the first time before their adolescence seem to get over it,butthose who are victimized for the first time late on in adolescence seem tobecome

more aggressive orare more likely to turn to drink as a means of coping. These are theconclusions of psychologist Matthew Newman and his colleagues from theUniversity

of Texasat Austin,U.S.

The team gavequestionnaires to nearly 1,500 college students regarding their experience ofphysical and psychological bullying before adolescence一before high school一

and in lateadolescence一at highschool.They assessed mood and mental state,judging by signs of anxiety ordepression,such as sleeplessness.The group was also questioned

about how they wouldreact to certain challenges,such as being embarrassed or provoked.

People who werebullied all revealed slightly higher levels of stress.But while those bulliedearlier in life seemed to respond normally to provocation,people bullied forthe

first time late inadolescence are more withdrawn and sensitive to violence.

The best solutionwas strong social support,whether from friends,family or school.Those with noone to share their problems were suffered the most.

So perhaps it isbest not to shelter children completely from bullying early on,suggestsNewman."They may get stressed,but unhealthy coping really jumps out whenthey are

bullied for thefirst time later on."The effects are likely to be related to thedeveloping stress hormone system, which matures during adolescence,heconcludes.Studies show

abnormal stressresponses in adult animals that experience social stress or aggression fromother animals during adolescence.According toNewman,why people bullied for the first time in adolescence suffer most?

A.Their stresshormone system is fully developed then.

B.Their parentsmistakenly shelter them from bullying.

C.They usually lacksocial support.

D.They do not turnto proper solutions.