Interesting article on the neuroscience of bullying;
"It turns out teens share an important neurobiological flag for stress with infants and toddlers. Elevated levels of the hormone cortisol present under conditions of both physical and verbal abuse hurts teen brains, too.
A recent study by brain scientist Martin Teicher, a Boston-area neuroscientist, shows that older children subjected to persistent verbal bullying by their peers or adults at school showed the same kinds of abnormalities as kids who were physically harmed. The study, published earlier this year, demonstrated that when all other factors for abuse were not an issue, verbal abuse was significantly linked with higher rates of depression, anxiety, or hostility, and victims of taunting or belittling tended to be more vulnerable to drug abuse....."
http://www.care2.com/causes/education/blog/the-neuroscience-of-bullying/
Source: care2.com