Bullying is a widespread problem in the United States.
Bullying peaks in middle childhood, and decreases over the high school years (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, & Kracke, 2009; Goldbaum, Craig, Pepler, & Connolly, 2003; Nansel et al., 2001).
Studies show that between 15 to 25 percent of U.S. students are bullied with some frequency (“sometimes or more often”) while 15 to 20 percent report that they bully others with some frequency (Melton et al., 1998; Nansel et al., 2001). Rates of bullying are higher among younger students; almost 43 percent of 6th graders report having been bullied, compared to about 24 percent of 12th graders (U.S. Department of Justice, 2007).
In a 2009 nationally-representative sample of youth grades 9-12, 19.9% reported being bullied on school property in the 12 months preceding the survey. The prevalence was higher among females (21.2%) than males (18.7%) (Eaton et al., 2010).
In 2007, about 32% of students aged 12 to 18 reported being bullied at school during the school year. The most common types of bullying at school included being made fun of, being the subject of rumors, and being pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on. Only about a third of victims notified a teacher or another adult about it (Dinkes, Kemp, & Baum, 2009).
Among children and youth aged 17 and younger, about 1 in 5 report being physically bullied, and about 3 in 10 report being teased or emotionally bullied in their lifetime. Among children aged 10 to 17, about 8% report having been the victim of Internet harassment (Finkelhor et al., 2009).
Bullying is experienced by both boys and girls. While boys experience more physical and verbal bullying, girls experience more psychological/relational bullying (Finkelhor et al., 2009; Wang, Iannotti, & Nansel, 2009).
Research indicates that children with disabilities or special needs are at a higher risk of being bullied than other children (Rigby, 2002).
What Should I Do if I’m Being Bullied?
Tell your parents or other trusted adults. They can help stop the bullying.
If you are bullied at school, tell your teacher, school counselor, or principal. Telling is not tattling.
Don't fight back. Don't try to bully those who bully you.
Try not to show anger or fear. Students who bully like to see that they can upset you.
Calmly tell the student to stop…or say nothing and then walk away.
Use humor, if this is easy for you to do. (For example, if a student makes fun of your clothing, laugh and say, "Yeah, I think this shirt is kind of funny-looking, too.")
Try to avoid situations in which bullying is likely to happen. You might want to:
Avoid areas of the school where there are not many students or teachers around.
Make sure you aren't alone in the bathroom or locker room.
Sit near the front of the bus.
Leave expensive things and lots of money at home — don’t bring them to school.
Sit with a group of friends at lunch.
Take a different route through hallways or walk with friends or a teacher to your classes.
What Should I Do If I See Someone Being Bullied at School?
Ask yourself, "Is it my job to help?" Think about how you might feel if the bullying were happening to you. You and other kids can lend a hand, even when you aren't close friends with the kids being bullied. Your school will be a better place if you help stop bullying.
You can help — think about what the best approach for you is:
Don't just stand there…say something!
Kids who bully may think they're being funny or "cool." If you feel safe, tell the person to stop the bullying behavior. Say you don't like it and that it isn't funny.
Don’t bully back! It won't help if you use mean names or actions, and it could make things worse.
It’s okay if you don't feel safe telling a bully to stop. No one should enter into an unsafe situation. Here are other things you can do to help:
Say kind words to the child who is being bullied, such as "I'm sorry about what happened," and "I don't like it!" Help them understand that it's not his or her fault. Be a friend. Invite that student to do things with you, such as sit together at lunch or work together on a project. Everyone needs a friend!
Tell the student who is being bullied to talk to someone about what happened. Offer to help by going along.
Pay attention to the other kids who see the bullying. (These people are called "bystanders.") Are any of them laughing or joining in with the bullying? If yes, these kids are part of the problem. Let those students know that they're not helping! Don’t be one of them!
IMPORTANT: Tell an adult. Chances are, the kid who is being bullied needs help from an adult. The kid who is doing the bullying probably does, too. Reporting that someone is getting bullied or hurt in some other way is not "tattling." Adults at school can help. Ask them to help keep you safe after telling. Explain to your friends that bullying is not fair and encourage them to join in helping! If you need help telling, take a friend along. Think about who you could tell in your school:
A teacher (which one would you talk to?)
A school counselor
A cafeteria or playground aid
A school nurse
The principal
A bus driver
Any other adults you feel comfortable telling
What If the Bullying Isn't Happening at School?
If there is an adult around, report the bullying to an adult (your youth group leader, minister, or sports coach).
No matter where the bullying happens, you should talk to your parents about bullying that you see or know about. Ask them for their ideas about how to help.
