Bullying Statistics

Nationwide Bullying Statistics

• Every 7 minutes a child is bullied; 85% of the time, there is no intervention of any kind
• Each day, 160,000 students miss school due to bullying
• Bullying is a leading factor in suicide among kids 11-16 years old
• By age 24, 60% of bullies have been charged with a crime
• 34% of all children report being bullied regularly at least several times a year
• 86% of children aged 12-15 report at least some form of bullying has interfered with their studies moderately or severely
• 43% of middle school children avoid the bathroom and locker rooms at all costs due to certainty of being bullied
• 1 of every 4 children is more than occasionally cyber-bullied

• More 25 million families are currently traumatized by bullying in the U.S. today
• When polled, 98% of students indicated that they want teachers to intervene
• According to a 2011 Harvard School of Health Study, male bullies are nearly four times as likely as non-bullies to grow up to physically or sexually abuse their female partners
• In schools where there are antibullying programs, bullying is reduced by 50%
• Bullying was a factor in 2/3 of the 37 school shootings reviewed by the US Secret Service
• Recent bullying studies have found that schools that had a more intense bullying atmosphere, passing rates on standardized tests in such subjects as algebra, earth science and world history were 3 to 6% lower

For more articals on bullying, see www.solutionsforbullying.com
For more statistics and current legislative info, see http://bullypolice.org, http://safeyouth.gov and http://bullying.gov.

Team Up Bullying FAQs

One of our Team Up member experts offers perspectives on the following topics:

Get tips on how to protect your child, work with your school to stop your child's torment, care for your bullied child and take steps to prevent bullying.

• ► Why do bullies bully?
  • While there are a number of factors that contribute to bullying, in the end, bullies crave power and social currency. Bullies frequently take advantage of children who are more timid/less confident, but just as frequently target other children out of jealousy, vendettas, compulsiveness or simple capriciousness.
  • There is never a single "reason" for bullying. Bullies choose to bully and typically have unhealthy motivations in their own life for doing so.

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions page >

• ► How do I know it is bullying?
  • While many folks define bullying using a wide variety of terms, in sum it's about the imbalance of power between two children. The child who holds more power and demeans the targeted child is typically bullying and the child with less power who feels demeaned is being "bullied."
  • In the simplest of terms: Whenever one child has demonstrated that a behavior from another child is making them uncomfortable or has asked that child to stop a behavior for the same reason, and the child does not, on the second occasion it is bullying. Period.

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

• ► What are the signs that a child is being bullied?

  Overall anxiety or any/all of the following:

  • Frequent stomachaches or headaches
  • More somber moods
  • Avoiding social occasions
  • Declining schoolwork quality
  • Looking down frequently
  • Change in eating habits (either eating less or more)
  • Agitated, negative, jumpy mood
  • Sleep issues
  • Increased moodiness
  • Nightmares

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

• ► Once I know it's bullying, whom do I contact first?
  • First, be sure you have all the facts and document them for reference later.
  • Contact the adult/staffer who was present or near the bullying episode at the time it happened as well as the top administrator at school.
  • If it is cyberbullying, block the offender online and determine which adult to notify.
  • Make sure the administrator speaks to the bully as well as to the bully's parents clearly about the issue, the consequences and next steps.

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

• ► If all common sense solutions don't work at the school level, what should I do?

  You have options beyond just working with the school to stop bullying. Briefly, here are a few examples:

  • Call the superintendent and all of the school board members (if you request a meeting, they must honor it).
  • Visit your local law enforcement for ideas. Sometimes a calm and objective, yet unofficial visit from an officer will get a bully's attention enough to stop them.
  • Inquire about protection at the local/county civil rights office. They will call your school quickly and begin a thorough investigation.
  • Talk to an attorney who specializes in children's issues or bullying.
  • Consider switching schools. Most states have laws that dictate that public schools must pay for another school out of district, including your child's transportation, if they cannot provide a safe learning environment.

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

• ► Are there any "never-do's" parents should know about?

  Never ignore bullying and never tell your child to ignore bullying.

  Never, ever, allow the school to perform "peer to peer resolution." It simply re-victimizes the bullied child by forcing him to face his attacker and get bullied again.

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

• ► How do I care for my bullied child and my family during this challenging period?
  • Do whatever you have to do to make your child feel protected and supported.
  • Tell him "I love you" and "I will do whatever it takes for you" and mean it, every day.
  • Make your house his safe, happy place.
  • Provide lots of distractions to the negativity with movies, outings, and other activities.
  • Be active as a family - get out and play.
  • Find families who are safe to be with and have them over frequently.
  • Find new friends and interests for your bullied child.
  • Share compliments with your child from peers or respected adults to boost his ego.
  • Seek counseling for your child if you see ANY signs of depression or anxiety.

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

• ► Why is bullying such a problem?
  • There is no single answer to this question. Even good parents miss unchecked, disrespectful behavior in children that becomes habit and can be the makings of a bully.
  • Many parents either consciously or unconsciously drive home the importance of being popular and emphasize the benefits regularly. Sadly, many parents will facilitate their child's popularity and support it at any cost. In turn, children then will do anything to be popular, including bullying other children.
  • Finally, many schools and communities either explicitly or implicitly find bullying acceptable. Once one group in this setting finds it acceptable or chooses to ignore it, it becomes the mindset of the community.

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

• ► What role do bystanders play?
  • Bystanders can become Upstanders. Bystanders actually hold all of the power in the bully/bystander/bullied triad. If bystanders call out the bully as wrong or inappropriate, it is less likely the bully will continue. However, most parents do not teach their children to defend their friends, and many children are taught to stay out of it.
  • While children should not put themselves in harm's way, they can report bullies or tell their parents.

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

• ► How do I start an antibullying program at my school?
  • The most important step to take prior to approaching your school or district's leadership and school board is to form a well-rounded committee of concerned parents, bullying experts, attorneys, community leaders, teachers and counselors.
  • From there, study the issue before presenting the size of the problem or potential solutions to the school leaders.
  • Once organized, the keys to success are collaboration, compromise and patience.
  • That said, stay on task and don't give up no matter what! Your program will save lives!

  Need help with your own bullying problem? See our Solutions >

Progress Update

While the bullying epidemic continues to challenge our nation's families and schools, there is also some antibullying progress that should be celebrated. Team Up's progress update will share stories, programs and concepts, regardless of their size, that are making a difference and promoting positive change today.

News From the Antibullying Movement

• We can break through and make a difference: A University of Michigan study of 360 college students conducted by Professor Saleem Abash found using positive messaging about anti-cyberbullying vs. negative, is more approaching and works better. "We've established with our research...in order to get people excited about the cyberbullying issue, positive messages will work better because because positive stimuli lets us be more approaching," Asserts Professor Alhabash. Further, he indicates, "Being more approaching means we are more open to persuasion." Futureity.org, 2/13/13
• Wide-sweeping anti-bullying law with specifics for major U.S. City: Mayor Vincent C. Gray of Washington DC signed a law in 2012 that requires not just schools, but all other youth-serving agencies such as public libraries, parks and the Metro to develop anti-bullying policies and procedures with key requirements indicated by the citys best practices task force.
• Cyber compliments working on Facebook: The most recent craze on Facebook is called "Facebook Compliments". Schools such as Columbia University, Walt Whitman High in Maryland and many other schools have now set up "compliment accounts" where students can compliment each other regularly. It has proven to be infectious in each case with hundreds of posts per school.
• Iowa Public Schools launches innovative tracking tool: In a bold move, Iowa has created a universal database for all public schools to track those who are bullying and those who are being bullied across 17 traits.
• Tyler Clementi bill introduced in house and senate: The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Act would require all colleges and universities that receive federal student aid to have anti-harassment policies in place. The bill was introduced by Representative Rush Holt and Senator Frank Lautenberg, both from New Jersey in early 2013.
• Download the October 2012 Team Up Newsletter
• As of 2012, all but one state in the U.S. has some form of an antibullying law now (as compared to 10 years ago when less than half of these laws existed).
• The Student Non-Discrimination Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to anti-discrimination law, is making its way through Congress with support from both parties.
• The first nationally released full-length documentary tracking the lives of bullied children, BULLY, has cultivated a movement.
  • Twenty-seven members of Congress signed a petition asking the Motion Picture Association of America to lower the "R" rating. While compromises were made to achieve the PG-13 rating, the good news here was the clear understanding by those congressional members that this film was important and needed to be seen by as many children as possible.
• In California, a bill has passed at the Assembly level that would allow schools to suspend or expel students who set up burn pages or create online profiles impersonating classmates.
• Here's a sign that healthcare providers understand the significant impact and clear need for victims of bullying: Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan is now offering clinical treatment for victims of bullying.
• Utterly Global, an international antibullying program, has developed a program for elementary school students and teachers designed to educate children as young as first grade about cyberbullying.
• At Michigan State University, an entire advanced journalism class worked on a large research project that resulted in publishing a book called The New Bullying: How Social Media, Social Exclusion, Laws and Suicide Have Changed Our Definition of Bullying.
• A great example of high school behavior to emulate: At Westview High School in San Diego, the prom king, a gregarious and well-loved student, also happens to be one of the students who receives special resources. This popular high schooler takes part in a very successful program called Best Buddies, which pairs a special needs student with a regularly-enrolled student to be partners in friendship.
• Current research from University of Illinois and the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning indicates post-analysis of 300 studies, two clear conclusions were identified:
  • Students enrolled in empathy teaching programs scored at least 10 percentage points higher on achievement tests than those who were not part of empathy teaching programs
  • Discipline problems were cut in half
• The first Anti-bullying Congressional Caucus has been created by Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) with support from over 25 members of Congress.