One of the most unsettling findings is that US students who were bullied electronically in 2019 faced a suicide risk that was about twice as high as their non bullied peers. Across ages and identities, the pattern keeps repeating in unexpected ways, with groups like LGBTQ+ students reporting much higher rates of feeling unsafe and making suicide attempts. This post brings those figures together to show how bullying type, setting, and support gaps can shift risk fast and dramatically.
Key Takeaways
- US 2019 YRBS: 14.9% bullied electronically, 2x suicide risk
- Among US high school girls, 24% bullied, 20% suicidal ideation vs 10% non-bullied
- Boys aged 12-18: 18% bullied on school property, 1.8x suicide attempt rate, 2021 data
- Depression diagnosed bullied youth: 35% vs 10% non, suicide 3x
- Anxiety disorders in bullied: 28% prevalence, 2.7x suicide risk
- PTSD symptoms post-bullying: 22% victims, 18% ideation
- In the United States, 19.2% of students in grades 9–12 reported being bullied on school property in 2021, with bullied students 2.4 times more likely to attempt suicide than non-bullied peers
- A 2023 study found that 15% of bullied adolescents aged 13-17 reported suicidal ideation, compared to 5% of non-bullied peers globally
- UK data from 2022 indicates 28% of secondary school students experienced bullying, with 12% of those attempting suicide
- School-based anti-bullying programs reduced suicides by 18% in participants
- KiVa program Finland: 25% bullying drop, 20% ideation decrease
- Olweus Bullying Prevention: 40-50% reduction in victimization, 35% less attempts
- Cyberbullying victims girls 13-15: 32% reported, 24% suicidal
- Physical bullying boys 10-12: 28% victims, 2.5x suicide attempt rate
- Verbal bullying overall: 45% youth experience, 1.9x ideation odds
Bullying significantly raises suicidal risk, especially for girls, LGBTQ youth, rural kids, and disabled students.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographic Breakdowns26 stats
01
US 2019 YRBS: 14.9% bullied electronically, 2x suicide risk
02
Among US high school girls, 24% bullied, 20% suicidal ideation vs 10% non-bullied
03
Boys aged 12-18: 18% bullied on school property, 1.8x suicide attempt rate, 2021 data
04
LGBTQ+ students: 44% felt unsafe due to bullying, 31% suicide attempts, GLSEN 2021
05
Hispanic youth US: 22% bullied, 16% higher suicide risk
06
Black students: 19% bullied, 14% ideation linked
07
White students 12-18: 20% bullying victimization, 12% suicide correlation
08
Rural US youth: 25% bullied, 19% attempts vs urban 15%
09
Urban students: 17% cyberbullied, 11% suicide risk
10
Low-income families kids: 28% bullied, 22% ideation
11
High SES youth: 12% bullied, 7% risk lower
12
Disabled students US: 40% bullied, 30% suicide attempts
13
Elementary boys: 15% bullied, 9% self-harm
14
Middle school girls: 26% bullied, 18% ideation
15
High school males: 16% cyberbullying, 10% attempts
16
Asian American youth: 21% bullied, 15% risk
17
Native American students: 29% bullied, 24% suicide link
18
Immigrant youth US: 23% bullied, 17% ideation
19
Foster care children: 35% bullied, 28% attempts
20
Overweight teens: 30% bullied, 25% suicide risk
21
Underweight youth: 18% bullied, 12% risk
22
Single-parent household kids: 27% bullied, 20% ideation
23
Military family students: 22% bullied, 16% attempts
24
Homeschooled vs public: 8% vs 22% bullying rates, suicide risk disparity
25
First-generation college students history: 25% past bullying, 19% ideation
26
Athletes in school: 14% bullied, 9% risk lower than non-athletes
Interpretation
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
The data paints a grim, predictable map where the privilege of safety from bullying and its lethal fallout is distributed not by chance but along society’s existing fault lines of identity, wealth, and power.
02 · Category
Mental Health Correlations21 stats
01
Depression diagnosed bullied youth: 35% vs 10% non, suicide 3x
02
Anxiety disorders in bullied: 28% prevalence, 2.7x suicide risk
03
PTSD symptoms post-bullying: 22% victims, 18% ideation
04
Low self-esteem chronic bullying: 40%, 32% attempts
05
Substance abuse bullied youth: 25% use, 20% suicide link
06
Eating disorders girls bullied: 19%, 15% self-harm
07
Sleep disturbances: 33% bullied, 2.4x ideation
08
Isolation/social withdrawal: 45% victims, 38% risk
09
Hopelessness scale high in bullied: 29%, 25% attempts
10
Bipolar onset post-bullying: 12%, 10% suicide
11
ADHD kids bullied more: 50% rate, 35% ideation
12
Autism spectrum bullied: 63%, 47% risk
13
Schizophrenia risk elevated: 15% bullied history, 12% attempts
14
OCD symptoms: 20% bullied, 16% suicide thoughts
15
Borderline personality traits: 27% from bullying, 22% self-harm
16
Conduct disorder bullies/victims: 18%, 14% risk
17
Somatic complaints chronic: 31%, 26% correlation
18
Family mental health history + bullying: 4x risk multiplier
19
Resilience low in victims: 38% no buffer, 30% attempts
20
Anger management issues: 24% bullied, 19% ideation
21
Grief complicated post-suicide peer: 20% bullied context
Interpretation
Mental Health Correlations Interpretation
These statistics paint bullying not as a childish rite of passage, but as a factory that mass-produces mental illness, with suicide as its most tragic and frequent product.
03 · Category
Prevalence of Bullying Leading to Suicide29 stats
01
In the United States, 19.2% of students in grades 9–12 reported being bullied on school property in 2021, with bullied students 2.4 times more likely to attempt suicide than non-bullied peers
02
A 2023 study found that 15% of bullied adolescents aged 13-17 reported suicidal ideation, compared to 5% of non-bullied peers globally
03
UK data from 2022 indicates 28% of secondary school students experienced bullying, with 12% of those attempting suicide
04
In Australia, 1 in 4 children aged 8-14 are bullied weekly, and bullying victims are 3 times more likely to self-harm or suicide, per 2021 survey
05
Canadian statistics show 23% of youth aged 12-17 faced bullying, linked to 18% higher suicide attempt rates
06
A meta-analysis of 131 studies revealed bullied children have a 2.66 odds ratio for suicidal ideation
07
In 2020, 37% of LGBTQ+ youth experienced bullying, with 45% reporting suicide attempts tied to it
08
South Korean data: 32.5% of middle schoolers bullied, 9.2% of victims suicidal
09
Brazil 2022 survey: 35% of teens bullied, 14% linked to suicide ideation
10
India reports 29% school bullying rate, with 11% victims showing suicide risk
11
Japan 2021: 15% elementary students bullied, 7% with suicide thoughts
12
Sweden study: 10% cyberbullied youth had 4x suicide risk
13
New Zealand: 20% Maori youth bullied, 25% suicide attempt correlation
14
Russia 2020: 18% students bullied, 8% suicidal ideation
15
South Africa: 40% learners bullied, 16% linked to self-harm
16
Mexico 2022: 27% adolescents bullied, 13% suicide risk elevated
17
Germany: 15% school bullying, 6% victims suicidal
18
France 2021: 22% middle schoolers bullied, 10% ideation
19
Italy: 20% cyberbullying, 9% suicide link
20
Spain 2023: 25% high school bullying, 12% attempts
21
Netherlands: 17% bullied youth, 7.5% suicide thoughts
22
Ireland: 33% primary students bullied, 14% risk
23
Norway 2022: 12% bullying rate, 5% suicidal
24
Finland: 16% cyberbullied, 8% ideation
25
Denmark: 19% students, 9% link to suicide
26
Poland: 28% secondary bullying, 11% attempts
27
Turkey: 30% school bullying, 13% suicide risk
28
Egypt: 35% youth bullied, 15% ideation
29
Nigeria: 42% school bullying, 18% self-harm link
Interpretation
Prevalence of Bullying Leading to Suicide Interpretation
These aren't just statistics; they're a global litany of despair proving that while words and fists may be the weapons of a bully, the casualty is nearly always a child's will to live.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prevention and Reduction Statistics25 stats
01
School-based anti-bullying programs reduced suicides by 18% in participants
02
KiVa program Finland: 25% bullying drop, 20% ideation decrease
03
Olweus Bullying Prevention: 40-50% reduction in victimization, 35% less attempts
04
US policy implementation: States with laws saw 15% lower youth suicide rates
05
Cyberbullying education: 30% risk reduction post-training
06
Teacher training impact: 22% bullying decrease, 18% suicide risk drop
07
Peer mentoring programs: 28% less isolation, 24% ideation reduction
08
Parent involvement interventions: 35% efficacy in lowering attempts
09
Social-emotional learning (SEL): 27% bullying reduction, 22% mental health improvement
10
Safe school climates: 19% lower suicide rates
11
LGBTQ+ support groups: 40% attempt reduction
12
Mindfulness training victims: 25% resilience boost, 20% risk down
13
Bystander intervention training: 32% incidents stopped, 28% ideation drop
14
Hotlines usage post-bullying: 45% crisis averted
15
Policy zero-tolerance: 16% reduction in severe cases
16
After-school programs: 23% less victimization, 19% suicide prevention
17
Digital citizenship curricula: 29% cyberbullying drop
18
Counseling access increase: 34% attempt decrease
19
Community awareness campaigns: 21% reporting up, 17% interventions
20
Early childhood anti-bullying: 38% long-term risk reduction
21
Adult workplace programs: 26% bullying down, 22% ideation less
22
Longitudinal tracking: 31% sustained prevention effect
23
Multi-tiered systems (MTSS): 27% overall suicide drop
24
Restorative justice practices: 33% reconciliation, 29% risk reduction
25
Tech monitoring tools: 24% cyber incidents caught early
Interpretation
Prevention and Reduction Statistics Interpretation
While the bleak statistics of bullying and suicide initially paint a daunting picture, the overwhelming evidence proves that we are not powerless, as each implemented strategy—from classroom curricula to policy change—acts like a single stitch, and together they form a safety net capable of catching those in freefall.
05 · Category
Types of Bullying and Suicide Risk20 stats
01
Cyberbullying victims girls 13-15: 32% reported, 24% suicidal
02
Physical bullying boys 10-12: 28% victims, 2.5x suicide attempt rate
03
Verbal bullying overall: 45% youth experience, 1.9x ideation odds
04
Social exclusion bullying: 22% girls, 18% self-harm link
05
Cyberbullying via social media: 59% of incidents, 3x suicide risk
06
School property physical: 15% US students, 2.2x attempts
07
Online harassment racial: 25% minority youth, 20% ideation
08
Repeated cyberbullying: 12% duration >6 months, 4.5x risk
09
Anonymous cyberbullying: 40% cases, 2.8x suicide correlation
10
Group cyberbullying: 35% victims, 28% attempts
11
Sexual bullying/harassment: 18% girls, 15% suicide link
12
Racial/ethnic bullying: 19% incidents, 16% ideation
13
Disability-targeted bullying: 33%, 27% risk elevated
14
Religious bullying: 12% youth, 9% self-harm
15
Appearance-based verbal: 30% teens, 22% attempts
16
Workplace bullying adults transitioning to suicide: 15% victims, 12% ideation
17
Sibling bullying: 40% children, 2x long-term suicide risk
18
Teacher-to-student bullying: 5% prevalence, 4x risk
19
Gang-related school bullying: 8% urban, 6% attempts
20
Homophobic bullying: 25% LGBTQ, 33% attempts
Interpretation
Types of Bullying and Suicide Risk Interpretation
This grim catalogue of cruelty reveals a simple, horrific truth: bullies often use the most accessible weapon—words, clicks, or exclusion—to inflict the most permanent damage, proving that in the arena of youth suffering, the pen, the pixel, and the pointed whisper are mightier than the sword, and far deadlier.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Bullied Suicide Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bullied-suicide-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Bullied Suicide Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bullied-suicide-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Bullied Suicide Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bullied-suicide-statistics.
Sources & references
69 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level