Prevalence of Bullying*
- Sixty-six percent of youth are teased at least once a month, and nearly one-third of youth are bullied at least once a month.
- Six out of 10 American teens witness bullying at least once a day.
- For children in grades 6 – 10, nearly one in six — or 3.2 million — are victims of bullying each year and 3.7 million are bullies.
- An estimated 160,000 children miss school every day out of fear of attack or intimidation by other students.
- One out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying.
- Victims of bullying are more likely to suffer physical problems such as common colds and coughs, sore throats and poor appetite.
- Those who are bullied are five times more likely to be depressed and far more likely to be suicidal.
- The effects of bullying can be long-lasting. By age 23, children who were bullied in middle school were more depressed and had lower self-esteem than their peers who had not been bullied.
Bullying by Gender*
- By self-report, boys are more likely than girls to bully others.
- Girls frequently report being bullied by both boys and girls, but boys report that they are most often bullied only by other boys.
- Verbal bullying is the most frequent form of bullying experienced by both boys and girls. Boys are more likely to be physically bullied by their peers; girls are more likely to report being targets of rumors spreading and sexual comments. Girls are more likely to bully each other using social exclusion.
- Use of derogatory speculation about sexual orientation is so common that many parents do not think of telling their children that it could be hurtful.
Symptoms of Bullying*
- Stresses of being bullied can interfere with student's engagement and learning in school.
- Children and youth who are bullied are more likely than other children to be depressed, lonely, anxious, have low self-esteem, feel unwell, and think about suicide.
- Students who are bullied may fear going to school, using the bathroom, and riding on the school bus.
- Research shows that bullying can be a sign of other serious antisocial or violent behavior. Children and youth who frequently bully their peers are more likely than others to get into frequent fights, be injured in a fight, vandalize or steal property, drink alcohol, smoke, be truant from school, drop out of school, and carry a weapon.
- Bullying also has an impact on other students at school who are bystanders to bullying.
- Bullying creates a climate of fear and disrespect in schools and has a negative impact on student learning.
*Information provided by: www.stopbullyingnow.org,
www.groundspark.org/our-films-and-campaigns/lets-get-real/lgr_stats
