The 85-year longitudinal study conducted by Harvard University has revealed a surprising truth: it’s not career achievements, money, exercise, or a healthy diet that matter most for long-term happiness and well-being. The most consistent finding is that positive relationships and friendships are the key to keeping us happier, healthier, and helping us live longer.
This insight is particularly significant for individuals who have faced vulnerability, such as those who have experienced bullying in school or the workplace. Scientific research has long documented the harmful effects of bullying on mental health and emotional well-being (NESET), often leaving victims feeling isolated, misunderstood, or excluded.
However, successful interventions like the 0 Violence Brave Club have shown remarkable results in transforming these negative outcomes. This Successful Educational Action supports victims by fostering peer-to-peer networks, by building a strong support system and promoting positive relationships. In this way victims can heal emotional wounds and restore their mental health and well-being, becoming survivors.
It is difficult to be the first to support the victim, because the retaliations are very cruel against whoever does (the scientific name for this is Isolating Gender Violence). Most people, even those who are in favor of victims, do not dare to do it, but they cannot actively accept the slander against those who support the victim.
Cultivating and strengthening quality relationships and friendships is not just important for overcoming challenges like bullying—it is essential for creating a fulfilling and healthy life. We can do this at schools, workplaces, and anywhere.
(Image from freepik)
Adjunct Professor of Sociology at the Universidad de Barcelona
Clarinetist graduated from the Conservatory of Music of Aragón.
Pre-doctoral researcher at University of the Basque Country
Assistant Lecturer at the University of the Basque Country
PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the best school of education in the world