BULLYING STATISTICS &

INFORMATION
The American Society for the Positive Care of Children (American
SPCC)
https://americanspcc.org/bullying/statistics-and-information/

About 28 percent of students ages 12–18 reported being bullied at school during the school year,
according to the Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2013 report, by the Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS) and National Center for Education Statistics Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
The majority of bullying still takes place at school; 1 in 3 U.S. students say they have been bullied at
school, according to the DHHS.

It is reported in the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — 2013 report, that on average across
39 states survey, 7.2% (range: 3.6% – 13.1%) of students admit to not going to school due to
personal safety concerns. Many dread the physical and verbal aggression of their peers, and many
more attend school in a chronic state of anxiety and depression. It’s reported that 70.6% (footnote
#12 or click “Show” under National Statistics) of young people say they have seen bullying in their
schools. While bullying can result in reluctance to go to school and truancy, headaches and stomach
pains, reduced appetite, shame, anxiety, irritability, aggression and depression are also frequent
effects.

“Children cannot get a quality education if they don’t first feel safe at school.”
-Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education
“160,000 kids per day do not attend school for fear of being bullied.”
-U.S. Dept. of Justice
“The child who is overweight is the most likely to be bullied.”
-Journal of Pediatrics

RISK FACTORS
No single factor puts a child at risk of being bullied or bullying others. Bullying can happen
anywhere—cities, suburbs, or rural towns. Depending on the environment, some groups—such
as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) youth, youth with disabilities, and socially
isolated youth—may be at an increased risk of being bullied.

FEDERALLY COLLECTED DATA REPORTS

The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
indicates that 20% of students in grades 9–12 experienced bullying nationwide.

The 2008–2009 School Crime Supplement (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of
Justice Statistics) indicates that 28% of students in grades 6–12 experienced bullying nationwide.

NATIONAL STATISTICS
  BEEN BULLIED
28% of U.S. students in grades 6–12 experienced bullying.9
20% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 experienced bullying.10
 BULLIED OTHERS
Approximately 30% of young people admit to bullying others in surveys.11
 SEEN BULLYING
70.6% of young people say they have seen bullying in their schools.12
70.4% of school staff have seen bullying. 62% witnessed bullying two or more times in the last
month and 41% witness bullying once a week or more.13
When bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the time.14
 BEEN CYBERBULLIED
6% of students in grades 6–12 experienced cyberbullying.15
16% of high school students (grades 9–12) were electronically bullied in the past year.16
However, 55.2% of LGBT students experienced cyberbullying.17

More Facts/Statistics about Bullying

The overall outlook of the long term effects of bullying upon society is grim:

1. 60% of middle school students say that they have been bullied, while 16% of staff believes
that students are bullied.
2. 160,000 students stay home from school every day due to bullying. (NEA)
3. 30% of students who reported they had been bullied said they had at times brought weapons
to school.
4. A bully is 6 times more likely to be incarcerated by the age of 24.
5. A bully is 5 times more likely to have a serious criminal record when he grows up.
6. 2/3 of students who are targets become bullies.
7. 20% of all children say they have been bullied.
8. 20% of high school students say they have seriously considered suicide within the last 12
months.
9. 25% of students say that teachers intervened in bullying incidents while 71% of teachers say
they intervened.
10. The average child has watched 8,000 televised murders and 100,000 acts of violence before
finishing elementary school.
11. In schools where there are anti-bullying programs, bullying is reduced by 50%.
12. Bullying was a factor in 2/3 of the 37 school shootings reviewed by the US Secret Service.
13. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety Health (NIOSH) (Sauter, et
al.,1990), there is a loss of employment amounting to $19 billion and a drop in productivity of
$3 billion due to workplace bullying.
14. Law enforcement costs related to bullying are enormous. Since 1999, the Office on Violence
against Women (OVW) has spent $98 million in assistance to address campus sexual
violence.

In schools that have an anti-bullying program, bullying is reduced by 50%.

The Impact of Bullying

While bullying can result in reluctance to go to school and truancy, headaches and stomach pains,
reduced appetite, shame, anxiety, irritability, aggression and depression are also frequent effects.
Bullying is a direct attack on a student’s status, sense of belonging and core identity, and often
results in low self-esteem. The effects of bullying often continue many years into adulthood. In the
most extreme cases, targets have taken out their anger and despair through school shootings or by
committing suicide.

For the school, the costs of bullying are countless hours consumed in tackling a problem that is
resistant to change, truancies, reduced student retention, low teacher morale, negative perceptions
of the school by the wider community and parent hostility. The school campus becomes a place
where many kids are marginalized and where no-one feels safe. As students become alienated from
school, academic performance declines. Schools are increasingly sued for failing to provide a safe
learning environment and are being held liable for the harassment, violence and suicides caused by
bullying.

Physical Effects of Bullying

What happens to us in early life has a huge impact on us in later life. Bullying is one example of
something that can happen during childhood and have a knock-on effect throughout our life.
Depression, difficulty with relationships and an increased likelihood of substance abuse are all long
term results of bullying. However, the physical impact it can have can also be devastating and can
even contribute to the development of heart problems because of the high level of stress the body is
constantly under4. It’s therefore vital that we nip childhood bullying in the bud before it impacts on
later life.

Government figures show that at least a quarter of children experience bullying at school and
according to the Workplace Bullying Institute more than a third of adults are bullied in the workplace.
While bullying has a serious impact on mental well-being, with victims more prone to anxiety, low
mood, disturbed sleep, reduced confidence and problems with low self-esteem, bullying can also
trigger a range of physical health problems. From aches and pains to increased susceptibility to
infections and digestive upset, experiencing harassment at school or work can leave you more
vulnerable to ill-health, which in part explains why you are more likely to take more sick days when
bullied. Here we take a look at the physical effects of bullying and why they occur.

No Winners
While the target of the bullying bears the brunt of the harm, everyone is impacted by it. Students who
habitually bully miss the opportunity to learn an alternative to aggression. Research tells us that they
often develop a habitual tendency to abuse power and are increasingly shunned as they reach the
higher grades. Approximately 25 percent of school bullies will be convicted of a criminal offense in
their adult years.

Children Commonly At Risk for Being Bullied

Generally, children who are bullied have one or more of the following risk factors:

 Are perceived as different from their peers, such as being overweight or underweight, wearing
glasses or different clothing, being new to a school, or being unable to afford what kids
consider “cool”
 Are perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves
 Are depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem
 Are less popular than others and have few friends
 Do not get along well with others, seen as annoying or provoking, or antagonize others for
attention

However, even if a child has these risk factors, it doesn’t mean that they will be bullied.
Children More Likely to Bully Others
There are two types of kids who are more likely to bully others:

 Some are well-connected to their peers, have social power, are overly concerned about their
popularity, and like to dominate or be in charge of others.
 Others are more isolated from their peers and may be depressed or anxious, have low self-
esteem, be less involved in school, be easily pressured by peers, or not identify with the
emotions or feelings of others.

Children who have these factors are also more likely to bully others;

 Are aggressive or easily frustrated

 Have less parental involvement or having issues at home
 Think badly of others
 Have difficulty following rules
 View violence in a positive way
 Have friends who bully others

Remember, those who bully others do not need to be stronger or bigger than those they bully. The
power imbalance can come from a number of sources—popularity, strength, cognitive ability—and
children who bully may have more than one of these characteristics.

References

9 National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement , 2008–2009

10 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 2011

Bradshaw, C.P., Sawyer, A.L., & O’Brennan, L.M. (2007). Bullying and peer victimization at school: Perceptual differences
11

between students and school staff. School Psychology Review, 36 (3), 361-382.

Bradshaw, C.P., Sawyer, A.L., & O’Brennan, L.M. (2007). Bullying and peer victimization at school: Perceptual differences
12

between students and school staff. School Psychology Review, 36 (3), 361-382.

Bradshaw, C.P., Sawyer, A.L., & O’Brennan, L.M. (2007). Bullying and peer victimization at school: Perceptual differences
13

between students and school staff. School Psychology Review, 36 (3), 361-382.

14 Hawkins, D. L., Pepler, D., and Craig, W. M. (2001). Peer interventions in playground bullying. Social Development, 10, 512-527.

15 National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement , 2008–2009

16 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 2011.

Kosciw, J. G., Greytak, E. A., Bartkiewicz, M. J., Boesen, M. J., & Palmer, N. A. (2012). The 2011 National School Climate Survey:
17

The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation’s schools. New York: GLSEN.