I read with great interest Erica Weir's Public Health article on the potentially harmful impact of bullying on victims' psychosocial adjustment.1 As a high percentage of children and adolescents are exposed to bullying without adequate intervention from school personnel, parents or mental health professionals,2 I was particularly pleased to read Weir's discussion about the role of clinicians in responding to peer victimization.
In addition to enhancing the self- esteem of the victim, psychotherapy can address the contribution of psychiatric symptomatology, namely difficulties with social anxiety, to problematic peer relationships. Socially anxious people typically experience cognitive, behavioural and physiological symptoms in anticipation of or during social interactions. Such symptoms are often associated with difficulty in peer relations, as overt anxiousness may interfere with the development of social skills and friendships.3 In addition, the overt anxiety displayed by some victims may make them vulnerable to peer maltreatment because they present easy targets to bullies.4
Eric A. Storch Department of Clinical Psychology Teachers College Columbia University New York, NY