The U.S. National Academy of Sciences says that “childhood bullying involvement predicts low-grade systemic inflammation into adulthood.” A study of 1,420 boys and girls revealed that being bullied raised the level of “C-reactive protein” (CRP) in their blood — which is a marking of systemic inflammation and risk factor for cardiovascular and other diseases. The bullies, on the other hand, had low increases in CRP — at levels even lower than kids who were neither victims nor perpetrators of bullying.
The lead author said that “this kind of social defeat is more potent and long-lasting that we previously thought.”
Good for understanding political and economic behaviors.