Social Epidemic. To some this may seem extreme or exaggerated, but when you look at the long term effects of bullying on kids you will begin to understand the relevance of this statement. According to Duane Alexander, M.D. director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), “Being bullied is not just an unpleasant rite of passage through childhood. It’s a public health problem that merits attention. People who were bullied as children are more likely to suffer from depression and low self esteem, well into adulthood, and the bullies themselves are more likely to engage in criminal behavior later in life.