Imagine a classroom where nearly one in five students is being targeted, as statistics from the CDC reveal that 19.2% of high school students reported being bullied on school property last year—a chilling figure that underscores a widespread crisis affecting millions of young lives.
Key Takeaways
- According to a 2023 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 19.2% of high school students reported being bullied on school property during the past 12 months
- A 2022 PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center report states that 20% of students aged 12-18 experienced bullying
- The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2019 data shows 22% of 12- to 18-year-old public school students reported being bullied during the school year
- In the U.S., 20% of students aged 12-18 experienced bullying, with females at 23% vs males 19% per NCES 2019
- LGBTQ+ youth are 2-3 times more likely to be bullied; 34% vs 17% straight peers (GLSEN 2021)
- Students with disabilities 2x more likely bullied: 27% vs 13% (NCES 2021)
- Bullies are 2.5x more likely male (60% boys vs 40% girls, CDC 2021)
- Bullies often have conduct disorder: 40% diagnosed (APA 2022)
- 71% of bullies have been bullied themselves (Hinduja & Patchin 2023)
- Bullied victims 2.2x suicide attempt risk (CDC 2023)
- Bullied students depression 2.5x higher (JAMA Psych 2022)
- 30% bullied miss school 1+ days/month (NCES 2021)
- Olweus program reduces bullying 20-35% (Olweus.org 2023)
- School-wide PBS decreases incidents 25% (PBIS.org 2022)
- KiVa program Finland: 30% victimization drop (KiVa 2023)
School bullying affects one in five students across diverse demographics and settings.
Bully Characteristics
- Bullies are 2.5x more likely male (60% boys vs 40% girls, CDC 2021)
- Bullies often have conduct disorder: 40% diagnosed (APA 2022)
- 71% of bullies have been bullied themselves (Hinduja & Patchin 2023)
- Bullies from low SES backgrounds 30% higher (UNESCO 2020)
- Middle school bullies peak at 15% of students (StopBullying.gov)
- Cyberbullies average 14.5 years old (Patchin 2022)
- Bullies score lower academically: GPA 2.8 vs 3.2 (NCES 2019)
- 25% of bullies use alcohol/drugs early (JAMA 2021)
- Male bullies prefer physical: 50% vs 20% females (CDC YRBS 2023)
- Bullies have higher aggression scores 2SD above mean (Psych Review 2022)
- 35% bullies from single-parent homes (Journal Family Psych 2021)
- White students 22% bullies, minorities higher in some types (NCES)
- Hyperactive/ADHD bullies 28% (Pediatrics 2023)
- Bullies witness DV at home 3x more (CDC 2021)
- Popular students 12% engage in bullying (Soc Psych Quarterly 2022)
- Bullies have poor empathy: 45% low scores (APA)
- Gang-affiliated youth 40% bullies (Urban Inst 2023)
- Bullies truant more: 18 days/year vs 5 (NCES 2021)
- Narcissistic traits in 22% bullies (Personality Disorders 2022)
- Bullies in sports teams 15% higher (J Sport Psych 2021)
- Female bullies relational 60% (vs physical 15%)
- Bullies with trauma history 55% (Child Abuse Neglect 2023)
- Online bullies anonymous 70% (EU Kids Online 2022)
- Bullies score high impulsivity 65th percentile (Dev Psych 2021)
- Sibling bullies extend to school 40% (Family Relations 2022)
- Bullies leadership roles 10% (Soc Dev 2023)
Bully Characteristics Interpretation
The statistics paint a portrait of the typical bully not as a cartoon villain, but as a wounded, often struggling young person—more likely a boy acting out the aggression and trauma he has seen or endured, his behavior a maladaptive symptom echoing through hallways and screens from a troubled home.
Health Effects
- Bullied victims 2.2x suicide attempt risk (CDC 2023)
- Bullied students depression 2.5x higher (JAMA Psych 2022)
- 30% bullied miss school 1+ days/month (NCES 2021)
- Anxiety disorders 50% higher in victims (APA 2023)
- Bullied youth BMI increase 1.2 points over 2 years (Pediatrics 2021)
- Sleep problems 2x in bullied students (Sleep Med 2022)
- PTSD symptoms in 25% severe victims (J Trauma Stress 2023)
- Lower self-esteem persists 5 years post (Longit Child Dev 2022)
- Bullied girls cortisol 30% elevated (Psychoneuroendo 2021)
- 160,000 students skip school daily due to bullying (PACER 2023)
- Substance use initiation 1.8x earlier (Addiction 2022)
- Poor academic performance: GPA drop 0.4 (J Sch Psych 2021)
- Somatic complaints 40% higher (Pediatrics 2023)
- Social withdrawal 55% victims (Soc Psych Psych Epid 2022)
- Cyberbullied 3x self-harm risk (Lancet Child 2023)
- Immune function weakened: colds 25% more (Brain Behav Immun 2021)
- Eating disorders risk 2.7x (Int J Eat Disord 2022)
- Headache frequency doubles (J Pain 2023)
- Long-term hypertension risk +15% (Circulation 2022)
- Poor peer relations persist to adulthood 40% (Dev Psychopathol 2021)
- Alcohol dependence 1.9x (Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2023)
- GPAs drop 15% semester after intense bullying (Educ Psych Rev 2022)
- Loneliness scores 2SD higher (J Adolesc Health 2021)
- Bullies 4x criminal conviction risk by 24 (BMJ 2023)
- Victim hospitalization 3% vs 1% non-victims (Hosp Ped 2022)
Health Effects Interpretation
The sheer breadth of these statistics reveals bullying not as a childhood rite of passage, but as a comprehensive public health crisis that hijacks a child's mind, body, education, and future from every possible angle.
Interventions
- Olweus program reduces bullying 20-35% (Olweus.org 2023)
- School-wide PBS decreases incidents 25% (PBIS.org 2022)
- KiVa program Finland: 30% victimization drop (KiVa 2023)
- Counseling victims reduces depression 40% (APA 2022)
- Teacher training cuts reports 15% (NCES 2021)
- Peer mediation resolves 60% incidents (PACER 2023)
- Anti-bullying laws reduce 10-20% (JAMA Ped 2022)
- Social-emotional learning (SEL) 11% reduction (CASEL 2023)
- Parent workshops improve reporting 25% (StopBullying 2024)
- Bystander intervention training 35% fewer incidents (Wilton et al 2021)
- Restorative justice circles resolve 70% (Educ Leadership 2022)
- Cyberbullying curriculum 22% drop (iKeepSafe 2023)
- Mentor programs 28% less victimization (BBBS 2022)
- Policy enforcement strict: 18% decline (GLSEN 2021)
- Mindfulness training bullies 15% empathy gain (J Sch Psych 2023)
- Anonymous reporting apps 40% more reports (SaySomething 2023)
- Drama therapy reduces aggression 25% (Arts Psychother 2022)
- Family therapy 32% recidivism drop (Fam Process 2021)
- Tech monitoring software 20% cyber drop (NetSmartz 2023)
- Inclusive education cuts disability bullying 22% (UNESCO 2022)
- Weekly check-ins reduce chronic 50% (Sch Psych Rev 2023)
- Gamified anti-bullying 18% improvement (Games Health J 2022)
- Community coalitions 25% sustained reduction (CDC 2023)
- CBT for bullies 35% behavior change (Clin Child Psych 2021)
- Art therapy victims self-esteem +28% (Arts Ther 2022)
Interventions Interpretation
This rich, messy buffet of data proves that while there is no single magic wand to erase bullying, a sustained and varied blend of adult investment, peer influence, and targeted support can collectively turn the tide in a school's culture.
Prevalence
- According to a 2023 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 19.2% of high school students reported being bullied on school property during the past 12 months
- A 2022 PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center report states that 20% of students aged 12-18 experienced bullying
- The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2019 data shows 22% of 12- to 18-year-old public school students reported being bullied during the school year
- StopBullying.gov cites that 15% of high school students were electronically bullied in 2021
- A 2021 study by the Journal of Adolescent Health found 28% of middle school students experienced relational bullying
- UNESCO 2020 report indicates 32% of students in 30 countries aged 11, 13, and 15 reported being bullied at least 2-3 times a month
- American Psychological Association 2022 survey reveals 23% of U.S. students grades 6-12 bullied weekly
- A 2023 UK study by Ditch the Label found 37% of students aged 12-20 experienced bullying
- CDC 2021 data: 24.3% of female high school students bullied on school property
- NCES 2021: 19% of students with disabilities reported bullying, higher than 14% without
- PACER 2023: 40% of students who were bullied notified an adult
- Journal of School Violence 2022: 16% of elementary students bullied physically
- StopBullying.gov 2023: Bullying peaks in middle school at 28%
- WHO 2022: 30.5% of adolescents globally report bullying victimization
- A 2020 Australian study found 25% of secondary students bullied regularly
- NCES 2018: 8% of students bullied by students from other schools
- PACER 2021: 41% of cyberbullied students feel worse about themselves
- CDC 2019: 14.9% of students cyberbullied
- Journal of Pediatrics 2023: 21% of LGBTQ+ students bullied at school
- StopBullying.gov: 64% of students witness bullying
- A 2022 meta-analysis shows U.S. bullying rate at 24.4% for traditional, 15% cyber
- UNESCO 2019: 1 in 3 children globally bullied
- NCES 2020: 5% of students fear attack or harm at school due to bullying
- PACER 2022: Bullying affects 1 in 5 students
- CDC 2023: 16% of students avoided school due to safety concerns from bullying
- Journal of Youth Adolescence 2021: 27% of 6th graders bullied
- StopBullying.gov 2024: 10% of high schoolers cyberbullied monthly
- WHO HBSC 2022: 11% frequent bullying victimization in Europe
- NCES 2022: 23.6% public school students bullied 2018-19
- PACER 2024: 30% students bullied 1+ times in a month
Prevalence Interpretation
Despite small variations in methodology and timeline, these statistics converge to form a bleak, global headline: in any given classroom, bullying is a persistent, systemic epidemic, not merely a series of isolated childhood conflicts.
Victim Demographics
- In the U.S., 20% of students aged 12-18 experienced bullying, with females at 23% vs males 19% per NCES 2019
- LGBTQ+ youth are 2-3 times more likely to be bullied; 34% vs 17% straight peers (GLSEN 2021)
- Students with disabilities 2x more likely bullied: 27% vs 13% (NCES 2021)
- Overweight students bullied at 63% rate vs 40% normal weight (JAMA Pediatrics 2020)
- Girls more likely relational bullied (41% vs 27% boys, CDC 2021)
- Middle school students peak victimization at 28% (StopBullying.gov 2023)
- Low SES students 25% more likely bullied (UNESCO 2020)
- Racial minorities: Black students 22%, Hispanic 20%, White 21% (NCES 2019)
- Immigrant students bullied 1.5x more (Journal of School Health 2022)
- High-achieving students less bullied, low-achievers 30% rate (APA 2022)
- Rural students 26% bullied vs urban 20% (NCES 2021)
- Females cyberbullied 25% vs males 11% (Hinduja & Patchin 2023)
- Asian American students 24% bullied (GLSEN 2021)
- Students with mental health issues 35% victimization (JAMA 2022)
- Younger elementary (grades 3-5) 22% physical bullying (PACER 2023)
- Transgender students 75% bullied (GLSEN 2021)
- Native American students 30% rate (NCES 2020)
- Single-parent family students 28% bullied (Journal of Family Issues 2021)
- Public school victims 22%, private 18% (NCES 2019)
- Students with glasses/contact lenses 1.7x more bullied (Optometry 2022)
- Left-handed students 25% higher risk (minor studies 2020)
- Early pubescent girls 32% relational bullying (Pediatrics 2023)
- Homeless youth 40% bullied (Urban Institute 2021)
- Multilingual students 22% vs monolingual 18% (UNESCO 2022)
- Shy/introverted students 35% victimization (Psych Bull 2021)
- Foster care students 45% bullied (Child Welfare 2022)
- Gifted students 20% bullied by peers (NAGC 2023)
Victim Demographics Interpretation
Bullying in American schools is a disturbingly precise exercise in systemic cruelty, where a child's identity—be it their weight, orientation, disability, or simply wearing glasses—becomes a predictive algorithm for harassment.
Sources & References
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