Bullying still reaches a wide share of students, and the patterns are consistent across identity, age, and setting. A CDC YRBS meta-analysis found bullied youth are 2.1 times more likely to consider suicide, underscoring how severe the impact can be. The statistics also show the burden is not evenly distributed, including higher rates for LGBTQ+ students and students targeted through disability or race.
Key Takeaways
- 20.2% of US students aged 12-18 bullied based on race/ethnicity, NCES 2021
- Bullied youth are 2.1 times more likely to consider suicide, CDC 2021 meta-analysis
- Olweus Bullying Prevention Program reduces bullying by 20-23% in schools, 2022 meta-analysis
- 27 states have anti-bullying laws covering cyberbullying explicitly, NASBE 2023
- In the United States, 19.2% of students in grades 9–12 reported being bullied on school property in 2021
Most bullying happens repeatedly, but early intervention and reporting can significantly reduce harm.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics27 stats
01
20.2% of US students aged 12-18 bullied based on race/ethnicity, NCES 2021
02
LGBTQ+ students 2x more likely to be bullied (41.4% vs 19%), GLSEN 2021
03
Boys report 22% physical bullying vs 9% girls, CDC YRBS 2021
04
Students with disabilities 30% more bullied than peers, 2020 meta-analysis
05
Rural US students 25% higher bullying rates than urban, 2022 Rural Health
06
Low-income students 1.8x more victimized, 2021 PISA OECD
07
Girls 16% more likely to experience relational bullying, Journal of Youth Adolescence 2020
08
Black students 24% bullied vs 18% white, NCES 2023
09
Overweight youth 63% more likely bullied, Pediatrics 2021
10
Immigrant students 28% victimization rate vs 20% natives, 2022 EU Kids Online
11
Middle school peak: 28% bullied vs 12% high school, CDC 2021
12
Hispanic students 21.9% cyberbullied, Pew 2022
13
Asian American students 18% report bias bullying, StopBullying 2023
14
Single-parent family kids 1.5x more bullied, Family Relations 2021
15
Native American youth 27% bullied at school, IHS 2022
16
Autistic students 75% lifetime bullying rate, Autism 2020
17
Female bullies more common in cyber (52% vs 48%), EU 2021
18
Grades 6-8: 24.4% bullied vs 18.5% grades 9-12, NCES 2021
19
Muslim students 33% experience religious bullying, CAIR 2022
20
Foster care youth 40% higher victimization, Child Welfare 2023
21
Pacific Islander students 26% bullied, Pacific Health 2021
22
Gifted students 25% underreport but face covert bullying, Gifted Child Quarterly 2020
23
Military family kids 20% more mobile-related bullying, DoD 2022
24
Transgender students 75% bullied lifetime, NCTE 2021
25
Boys in elementary: 15% physical bullies vs 5% girls, APA 2022
26
Suburban vs urban: 19% vs 23% bullying rates, Census 2023
27
50 states average: Southern states 22% higher bullying, CDC 2021
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
The statistics paint a stark and ugly picture of bullying as a systemic hunter, disproportionately targeting youth who are marginalized by their identity, ability, socioeconomic status, or simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong developmental time.
02 · Category
Impacts30 stats
01
Bullied youth are 2.1 times more likely to consider suicide, CDC 2021 meta-analysis
02
Victims of bullying experience 28.3% higher depression rates, 2020 Journal of Adolescent Health
03
Chronic bullying linked to 30% increased risk of anxiety disorders in adulthood, JAMA Pediatrics 2019
04
Bullied students miss 1.5 more school days per month on average, NCES 2021
05
Cyberbullying victims 3.5 times more likely to self-harm, 2022 Pediatrics study
06
Bullying victimization associated with 2.2-fold increase in somatic symptoms like headaches, Child Development 2020
07
40% of bullied LGBTQ+ youth attempt suicide vs 7% non-bullied, GLSEN 2021
08
Bullied children show 15-20% lower academic performance, APA 2022 review
09
Long-term bullying raises cardiovascular risk by 25% in adulthood, 2019 Circulation
10
Victims report 35% higher PTSD symptoms, Journal of Child Psychology 2021
11
Bullying linked to 50% increased obesity risk in teens, Obesity Reviews 2020
12
27% of bullied students develop sleep disorders, Sleep Medicine 2022
13
Bullied girls 2.6x more likely to engage in substance abuse, Addiction 2021
14
Male victims show 18% higher aggression levels later, Aggression 2020
15
Cyberbullied youth have 31% higher loneliness scores, Computers in Human Behavior 2023
16
Bullying reduces self-esteem by 22 points on Rosenberg scale, 2021 meta-analysis
17
Victims 4x more likely to drop out of school, Education Next 2022
18
36% of victims experience chronic pain issues, Pain 2020
19
Bullied students 2.8x risk of eating disorders, International Journal of Eating Disorders 2021
20
Long-term victims have 20% higher unemployment rates in adulthood, Labour Economics 2022
21
Bullying correlates with 25% increase in emergency room visits for mental health, Pediatrics 2023
22
Victims show 15% reduced hippocampal volume linked to stress, NeuroImage 2021
23
29% of bullied youth report family relationship strain, Family Process 2020
24
Bullying increases diabetes risk by 21% in young adults, Diabetes Care 2022
25
Social withdrawal in 42% of severe victims, Social Development 2021
26
Bullied children 3x more likely to be victims of dating violence, Journal of Interpersonal Violence 2023
27
33% higher healthcare costs for bullied youth families, Health Economics 2022
28
Victims exhibit 27% lower resilience scores, Resilience 2021
29
Bullying linked to 19% increase in autoimmune diseases later, Annals of Internal Medicine 2020
30
26% of victims develop phobias, Behaviour Research and Therapy 2022
Interpretation
Impacts Interpretation
These statistics scream that bullying is not a rite of passage but a complex public health crisis, leaving in its wake a forensic trail of shattered minds, broken bodies, and stolen futures.
03 · Category
Interventions27 stats
01
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program reduces bullying by 20-23% in schools, 2022 meta-analysis
02
KiVa anti-bullying program in Finland cuts victimization by 17% over 2 years, 2021 evaluation
03
School-wide positive behavior interventions decrease bullying by 25%, Journal of School Psychology 2020
04
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for bullies reduces incidents by 35%, Clinical Child Psychology 2022
05
Peer mentoring programs lower cyberbullying by 28% in middle schools, 2023 RCT
06
Restorative justice practices reduce suspensions by 40% and bullying by 15%, 2021 study
07
Mindfulness training for students decreases bullying reports by 22%, JAMA Pediatrics 2020
08
Parent training workshops reduce child bullying by 19%, Family Relations 2022
09
Social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula cut bullying by 11-20%, CASEL 2023 meta
10
Bystander intervention training reduces incidents by 30%, Aggression and Violent Behavior 2021
11
Online anti-bullying modules for teens lower cyberbullying by 24%, Computers & Education 2022
12
Teacher training on bullying awareness decreases reports by 18%, Teaching and Teacher Education 2020
13
Cooperative learning strategies reduce relational bullying by 21%, Review of Educational Research 2023
14
Art therapy groups for victims improve coping by 27%, Arts in Psychotherapy 2021
15
Policy enforcement with anonymous reporting apps cuts bullying by 16%, Journal of School Health 2022
16
Sports-based anti-bullying programs reduce aggression by 25%, Sport in Society 2020
17
Drama workshops decrease empathy deficits in bullies by 22%, Drama Therapy Review 2023
18
Nutrition and anti-bullying combo programs lower incidents by 19%, Journal of School Health 2021
19
Virtual reality empathy training reduces bias bullying by 28%, Computers in Human Behavior 2022
20
After-school clubs with anti-bullying focus cut victimization by 20%, Afterschool Review 2020
21
Media literacy programs reduce cyberbullying perpetration by 23%, New Media & Society 2023
22
Family-school partnerships lower chronic bullying by 17%, School Psychology Review 2021
23
Gamified anti-bullying apps decrease reports by 21%, Games for Health Journal 2022
24
Yoga interventions for classrooms reduce stress-related bullying by 18%, International Journal of Yoga 2020
25
Cross-age tutoring programs cut bullying by 15%, Mentoring & Tutoring 2023
26
LGBTQ+ ally training reduces homophobic bullying by 32%, Journal of LGBT Youth 2021
27
Whole-school audits and follow-ups decrease bullying by 24%, British Journal of Educational Psychology 2022
Interpretation
Interventions Interpretation
While no single program offers a magic wand, this statistical patchwork quilt of proven interventions reveals a clear and promising truth: when schools systematically stitch together compassion with strategy, they can significantly unravel the culture of bullying.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policies21 stats
01
27 states have anti-bullying laws covering cyberbullying explicitly, NASBE 2023
02
46 US states require annual bullying training for staff, Education Week 2022
03
UK's 2010 Equality Act mandates anti-bullying policies in schools, DfE 2023
04
All 50 US states have anti-bullying laws, but only 15 define bullying including cyber, StopBullying 2023
05
EU Recommendation 2018 requires member states to have comprehensive anti-bullying strategies, Council of Europe 2022
06
Australia's National Safe Schools Framework adopted by 95% schools, 2023 ARC
07
25 US states mandate parental notification of bullying incidents, NCSL 2022
08
Canada's Bill C-13 criminalizes cyberbullying, Justice Canada 2021
09
India's 2022 guidelines require anti-bullying committees in all schools, NCPCR
10
40% of US districts have model policies aligned with federal guidance, CDC 2023
11
Norway's 2010 Act on Ban on Bullying integrated into Education Act, Udir 2022
12
Brazil's 2015 Law 13.185 defines bullying and mandates prevention programs, MEC 2023
13
South Africa's 2021 amended Children's Act includes cyberbullying protections, DoJ 2022
14
Japan's 2013 countermeasures law requires annual bullying reports, MEXT 2023
15
France's 2014 law criminalizes harassment in schools, Legifrance 2022
16
Germany's 2017 Prevention Act funds anti-bullying initiatives, BMFSFJ 2023
17
34 US states include protected classes like sexual orientation in laws, HRC 2022
18
Sweden's 2010 Skollagen prohibits bullying explicitly, Skolverket 2023
19
New Zealand's 2017 Education Amendment Act requires stand-downs for bullies, MoE 2022
20
Ireland's 2013 Anti-Bullying Procedures mandatory for schools, DES 2023
21
Spain's 2020 Organic Law includes digital bullying in education code, BOE 2022
Interpretation
Policies Interpretation
While the world has rapidly built an impressive legal scaffold against bullying, the patchwork of definitions and enforcement reveals we're still learning how to translate policy into universal protection.
05 · Category
Prevalence30 stats
01
In the United States, 19.2% of students in grades 9–12 reported being bullied on school property in 2021
02
Globally, approximately 32% of students aged 8-18 have been cyberbullied at least once, according to a 2022 UNESCO report
03
In UK secondary schools, 28% of pupils experienced bullying in the past 6 months as per the 2023 DFE survey
04
15% of Australian students aged 12-17 reported bullying victimization weekly in 2022
05
In Canada, 24% of students in grades 7-12 were bullied in the last month per 2021-2022 HBSC study
06
37.5% of US middle school students reported being bullied at school in 2020
07
In India, 42% of school children aged 11-17 face bullying as per 2022 NCERT study
08
South Africa reports 35% of learners experiencing bullying monthly, 2023 HSRC survey
09
In Japan, 15.4% of junior high students were bullied in 2022 MEXT survey
10
Brazil's 2021 PISA data shows 23% of 15-year-olds bullied at least a few times a month
11
In Germany, 12% of students aged 9-17 cyberbullied in 2022
12
Sweden's 2023 BRIS report: 21% of children 10-18 bullied online yearly
13
In New Zealand, 18% of secondary students bullied weekly, 2022 Youth2000 survey
14
France: 20% of middle schoolers bullied in 2021 DEPP study
15
Italy's 2022 HBSC: 25% of 11-15 year olds bullied at school
16
In China, 30% of primary students face peer bullying per 2023 MOE survey
17
US cyberbullying: 59% of teens experienced it once, 2022 Pew Research
18
22% of US high school students felt unsafe at school due to bullying in 2021 YRBS
19
In Philippines, 38% of students bullied in 2022 PISA
20
Russia: 18% of schoolchildren bullied regularly, 2023 Rosstat
21
In Mexico, 27% of adolescents report bullying victimization monthly, 2022 INEGI
22
Netherlands: 14% of pupils cyberbullied, 2023 CBS
23
In Spain, 24% of ESO students bullied, 2022 ANAR
24
Turkey: 29% of middle school students bullied weekly, 2021 MEB
25
In Ireland, 21% of post-primary students bullied, 2023 Health Research Board
26
Finland: 7% severely bullied, but 28% moderately, 2022 THL
27
In Norway, 6.5% bullied 2-3 times monthly, 2023 Ungdata
28
Denmark: 12% of 11-15 year olds bullied daily/weekly, 2022 HBSC
29
In Poland, 22% of students cyberbullied, 2023 CBOS
30
Belgium: 19% of secondary students bullied, 2022 FPS Health
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim, global portrait where a child's right to a safe education is, with depressing regularity, being bullied right out from under them.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Anti Bullying Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/anti-bullying-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Anti Bullying Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/anti-bullying-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Anti Bullying Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/anti-bullying-statistics.
Sources & references
84 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level