Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:

An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.

Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.

According to StopBullying.gov; Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the Internet.

There are two sources of federally collected data on youth bullying:

The 2022 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice) indicates that, nationwide, about 19.2% of students ages 12-18 in grades 6-12 reported being bullied, with approximately 15.4% of students reporting being bullied with a power imbalance, 14.5% being bullied repeatedly, and 12.7% being bullied with both a power imbalance and repetition.

The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicates that, nationwide, 19% of students in grades 9–12 report being bullied on school property in the 12 months preceding the survey.

While many factors contribute to bullying behavior, some youth unfortunately lack the support needed to address these issues. Peer influence plays a significant role, with some engaging in bullying to gain social power, fit into a group, or control others. Family dynamics can also contribute, including exposure to aggression at home, lack of emotional support, or inconsistent parenting styles. Emotionally, those who bully may have low self-esteem, difficulty understanding or managing emotions, or lack social skills. School environments where bullying isn't adequately addressed can also exacerbate the problem.

Parents, counselors, teachers, and mental health professionals can provide guidance and resources. Bullying is a learned behavior that can be changed with support.

Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern.

Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic, and mental health issues such as:

Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.

Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.

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