Repeated peer victimisation can reshape how teenagers see themselves

Longitudinal research in Brazil suggests sustained bullying is linked to more negative self-portrayals in teenagers, while coping skills may help protect self-esteem.

Adolescence is meant to be a period of identity formation, yet for many young people it is also a time when confidence can be unsettled by hostile peer interactions. A recent study of Brazilian teenagers suggests that being teased, insulted or excluded by classmates can leave a mark not only in the moment, but on how adolescents later judge their own worth. The findings, published in a Springer journal, linked earlier peer victimisation with more negative self-portrayals over time, even after accounting for previous self-view.

The research followed 310 adolescents in Curitiba, Brazil, across two school years. Participants were asked about how they saw themselves and whether they experienced peer victimisation such as being made fun of or insulted. Most of the teenagers reported generally positive self-views, but those who had been targeted by peers were more likely to describe themselves in unfavourable terms later on. The study also found that the connection between earlier victimisation and later self-portrayals was strongest when peer mistreatment continued, pointing to the cumulative effect of repeated exposure rather than a one-off event.

The wider literature supports that pattern. Another longitudinal study, also published in a Springer journal, found that peer victimisation was linked to lower self-esteem over time, but mainly among adolescents who used less cognitive reappraisal, a coping strategy in which people reinterpret stressful situations to reduce their emotional impact. In that study, young people with stronger reappraisal skills did not show the same decline in self-esteem. Together, the findings suggest that peer abuse may be especially damaging when teenagers have fewer tools to manage the social stress it creates.

Evidence also shows that these effects are not confined to in-person settings. A study indexed in PubMed found that cybervictimisation predicted later negative self-cognitions and depressive symptoms in children and young adolescents, even after earlier levels of those problems were taken into account. A separate systematic review and meta-analysis found that peer victimisation is associated with more internalising symptoms, while low self-esteem may help explain why some victimised adolescents go on to struggle with anxiety or depression. In practical terms, that means bullying can feed a wider cycle of distress, self-doubt and withdrawal.

The Brazilian study’s authors say their findings underline the need to look beyond the bullying itself and pay attention to how young people talk about themselves. When a teenager repeatedly says they are not good enough or that nobody likes them, adults should treat those remarks as possible warning signs rather than ordinary teenage pessimism. Supportive listening, opportunities to build competence and trusted relationships with adults can all help buffer the damage. The broader message from the research is clear: stopping bullying matters, but so does helping adolescents understand that their self-worth should not be defined by how others treat them.