Bullying, neuropsychological evaluations for legal protections

Abstract

Bullying is a growing occurence in modern society. It can have important
impacts on the public health of the involved countries. This review highlights
the phenomenon of bullying, with particular reference to the neuropsychological
effects that aggressive behavior can have on the victims
and the relationship with legal protecition. Neural plasticity in childhood
and adolescence is still high and aggressive behavior can compromise the
proper development of the brain and its activities, leading to discomfort
and psychophysical pathologies, not only in the period immediately following
the event, but also in adulthood. It is essential that the researchers continue
to study the effects of bullying at neuropsychological level, in order
to increase the awareness, at political and legislative level, of the need for a
growing diffusion of systems for detecting bullying, supporting, not only
the deviant behavior of the bully, but also the distress of the victim and the
restoration of a neuropsychological balance.