Research studies found that the age at which an individual is first bullied is linked to the extent of the long-term and short-term aversive effects. Individuals who were first bullied in their pre-teen years seem to be less negatively impacted than individuals who were first bullied when they were teenagers. Individuals who were first bullied in their teenage years report greater long-term social withdrawal and higher reactivity to aggression than the ones who were first bullied in their pre-teens. This is because teenagers tend to use more self-destructive coping mechanisms that will have short-term and long-term aversive effects such as substance abuse due to having more independence than younger children.