Bullying victimization roughly doubles the odds of suicidal ideation among youth. This article details the population-level data linking bullying to suicide risk and examines the evidence for preventive interventions.
Key Takeaways
- The CDC YRBS sample size for high school survey years is typically tens of thousands of students (e.g., 2019 included 13,677 students in the analyzed sample of participating states/areas)
- The 2021 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey measured bullying and suicide outcomes concurrently in the same population-based survey
- WHO reports that global suicide is among the top leading causes of death worldwide, highlighting the broader context for prevention (Global Health Estimates)
- 8.5% of U.S. high school students reported that they had been electronically bullied (cyberbullied) in 2021
- A meta-analysis of 40 studies found that being a victim of bullying was significantly associated with suicidal ideation (odds ratio 2.1)
- A meta-analysis reported bullying victimization was associated with suicide attempts (odds ratio 1.5)
- In a large systematic review, bullying victimization was associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempts across multiple countries
- UNICEF and partners promoted the INSPIRE strategies across regions, including school-based interventions to prevent violence and bullying (policy framework)
- In the U.S., the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988 (launched in 2022) providing suicide crisis support, relevant to suicide risk even where triggered by bullying
- 988 was implemented nationwide in the United States in 2022 as the new three-digit suicide prevention hotline number
- A randomized controlled trial found that the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program reduced bullying among students compared with control schools (effect reported in trial results)
- A systematic review reported that whole-school anti-bullying programs show small-to-moderate reductions in bullying victimization (effect sizes reported across studies)
- The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on self-harm highlights structured psychosocial assessment and care planning to reduce repetition of self-harm and suicidality (risk-focused guidance)
- 13.2% of U.S. high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in 2021 (a suicidality-relevant risk indicator often assessed alongside bullying in school health surveys)
- 9.4% of U.S. high school students reported being cyberbullied in 2023
Bullying, including cyberbullying, is strongly linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts among youth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Data & Surveillance5 stats
01
The CDC YRBS sample size for high school survey years is typically tens of thousands of students (e.g., 2019 included 13,677 students in the analyzed sample of participating states/areas)
02
The 2021 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey measured bullying and suicide outcomes concurrently in the same population-based survey
03
WHO reports that global suicide is among the top leading causes of death worldwide, highlighting the broader context for prevention (Global Health Estimates)
04
UNESCO reported that about 32% of students reported being bullied at least once in the past month in their Global Education Monitoring reporting synthesis
05
OECD reported that student bullying is correlated with lower well-being and worse school experience indicators in its education and well-being reporting
Interpretation
Data & Surveillance Interpretation
Because the CDC YRBS surveys tens of thousands of high school students and in 2021 measured bullying and suicide in the same population at the same time, the data and surveillance evidence clearly supports tracking and linking bullying exposure with suicide outcomes rather than treating them as separate issues.
02 · Category
Prevalence Data1 stats
01
8.5% of U.S. high school students reported that they had been electronically bullied (cyberbullied) in 2021
Interpretation
Prevalence Data Interpretation
In prevalence data, 8.5% of U.S. high school students reported being electronically bullied in 2021, showing that this harmful behavior is a widespread issue linked to suicide risk through bullying.
03 · Category
Risk Associations12 stats
01
A meta-analysis of 40 studies found that being a victim of bullying was significantly associated with suicidal ideation (odds ratio 2.1)
02
A meta-analysis reported bullying victimization was associated with suicide attempts (odds ratio 1.5)
03
In a large systematic review, bullying victimization was associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempts across multiple countries
04
A 2010 meta-analysis found that bullying was associated with elevated suicide ideation (standardized mean difference 0.47)
05
In a study of Swedish adolescents, bullying victimization was associated with suicide attempt risk (adjusted hazard ratio 2.1, 95% CI 1.1–4.1)
06
A cross-sectional study in the UK reported that bullied pupils were significantly more likely to report self-harm and suicidal thoughts (statistical association reported in study results)
07
A population-based study in Ireland found that experiences of bullying were associated with increased odds of suicidal ideation (odds ratio reported in study results)
08
A meta-analysis reported cyberbullying victimization was associated with suicidal ideation (odds ratio 1.7)
09
A meta-analysis found cyberbullying was associated with suicide attempts (odds ratio 2.1)
10
A global meta-analysis estimated that approximately 1 in 5 youths are involved in bullying (victims or perpetrators) across studies, linking to mental health outcomes including suicidality
11
A 2021 meta-analysis reported that depression is a common mediator between bullying victimization and suicidal outcomes (mediation effect reported across included studies)
12
A longitudinal study found that bullying victimization predicts later depressive symptoms, which are associated with later suicidal ideation (longitudinal findings in study)
Interpretation
Risk Associations Interpretation
Across multiple Risk Associations studies, bullying victimization consistently raises suicide-related outcomes, with meta-analytic odds ratios of 2.1 for suicidal ideation and 1.5 for suicide attempts showing a clear, elevated risk pattern.
04 · Category
Policy & Programs8 stats
01
UNICEF and partners promoted the INSPIRE strategies across regions, including school-based interventions to prevent violence and bullying (policy framework)
02
In the U.S., the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988 (launched in 2022) providing suicide crisis support, relevant to suicide risk even where triggered by bullying
03
988 was implemented nationwide in the United States in 2022 as the new three-digit suicide prevention hotline number
04
SAMHSA’s 988 guidance includes a national call routing model, designed to support real-time crisis intervention (program structure described)
05
In the U.S., 48 states have anti-bullying laws as of 2023 (reported by a reputable tracking source compiling legislation)
06
The UK implemented the Online Safety Act 2023, establishing duties for platforms regarding harmful content, relevant to cyberbullying that can contribute to suicidality
07
WHO recommends integrated, evidence-based suicide prevention strategies including means restriction, crisis services, and community engagement, relevant for bullying-related suicide prevention cascades
08
The WHO publication ‘Preventing suicide: A global imperative’ is a foundational evidence review for suicide prevention policy planning
Interpretation
Policy & Programs Interpretation
Across Policy and Programs, countries are increasingly backing anti-bullying and suicide support with concrete systems such as the 2022 nationwide rollout of the US 988 hotline and legislation like the Online Safety Act 2023, alongside the fact that 48 US states had anti-bullying laws by 2023.
05 · Category
Intervention Evidence9 stats
01
A randomized controlled trial found that the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program reduced bullying among students compared with control schools (effect reported in trial results)
02
A systematic review reported that whole-school anti-bullying programs show small-to-moderate reductions in bullying victimization (effect sizes reported across studies)
03
The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on self-harm highlights structured psychosocial assessment and care planning to reduce repetition of self-harm and suicidality (risk-focused guidance)
04
KiVa (Finnish anti-bullying program) has been evaluated in multiple studies; one RCT reported reductions in bullying and victimization in intervention schools compared to controls (reported in evaluation results)
05
A meta-analysis of school-based interventions found statistically significant reductions in bullying perpetration and victimization (overall effect reported across included studies)
06
A systematic review reported that targeted interventions for bullying-related anxiety and depression can reduce internalizing symptoms associated with suicidality risk (outcomes reported)
07
A trial of restorative practices in schools reported measurable improvements in student behavior and school climate metrics associated with lower bullying exposure (outcome measures reported)
08
A systematic review of internet-based interventions reported improvements in mental health outcomes including suicidal ideation measures (where assessed)
09
A randomized trial of school-based bystander intervention reported reductions in bullying behavior and improvements in attitudes (outcomes reported in results)
Interpretation
Intervention Evidence Interpretation
Across multiple intervention evidence studies, programs that target bullying at the whole-school or structured level show small to moderate reductions in bullying and victimization, with randomized trials like Olweus and KiVa reporting measurable decreases, and this consistency suggests that well-supported anti-bullying interventions can plausibly reduce suicide risk by cutting the bullying stressor itself.
06 · Category
Prevalence2 stats
01
13.2% of U.S. high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in 2021 (a suicidality-relevant risk indicator often assessed alongside bullying in school health surveys)
02
9.4% of U.S. high school students reported being cyberbullied in 2023
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
In the prevalence category, the data show that 13.2% of U.S. high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in 2021 alongside 9.4% who reported being cyberbullied in 2023, suggesting bullying related distress is a substantial and ongoing issue.
More related reading
07 · Category
Risk Association4 stats
01
In a 2019 U.S. study of adolescents, 14.0% reported past-year bullying victimization, and bullying victimization was significantly associated with suicidal ideation
02
In a systematic review/meta-analysis, school bullying victimization increased the odds of suicidal ideation (pooled effect reported as statistically significant across included studies)
03
In a 2020 meta-analysis, cyberbullying was associated with suicidal ideation (pooled standardized effect reported as statistically significant across included studies)
04
In a 2021 meta-analysis, bullying victimization was associated with suicide attempts among youth (pooled association reported as statistically significant)
Interpretation
Risk Association Interpretation
Across risk associations for suicide linked to bullying, studies consistently show meaningful and statistically supported connections, including 14.0% of U.S. adolescents reporting past-year bullying victimization in 2019 and meta-analyses finding higher odds of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among youth, with cyberbullying also significantly tied to suicidal ideation.
08 · Category
Attribution2 stats
01
27% of youth who reported frequent bullying victimization reported suicidal ideation in a 2017 cross-national survey analysis (percentage meeting suicidality indicator)
02
2.2% of youth reported both bullying victimization and suicide attempts in a 2020 national survey analysis (joint prevalence of bullying victimization and suicide attempt indicator)
Interpretation
Attribution Interpretation
From an attribution perspective, the data show that when bullying is frequently experienced, 27% of youth report suicidal ideation, and in national survey findings 2.2% report both bullying victimization and suicide attempts, suggesting that the link between attribution of bullying experiences and suicide risk is strongest for ideation and becomes much less common for attempts.
09 · Category
Intervention Effectiveness5 stats
01
In a randomized trial of KiVa in Finland, students in intervention schools experienced a 14% reduction in bullying victimization compared with control schools (effect size reported in trial publication)
02
In a randomized trial, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program reduced bullying by 19% in intervention schools relative to controls (percent reduction reported)
03
A meta-analysis of whole-school anti-bullying programs reported a pooled reduction of 20% in bullying victimization (standardized-to-percentage translated effect reported in the review)
04
A meta-analysis of bystander interventions reported a 16% reduction in bullying behavior perpetration (pooled effect reported)
05
A systematic review of internet-based interventions reported that participants showed a 0.3 standard-deviation improvement in mental health outcomes related to self-harm risk compared with control groups (pooled effect reported)
Interpretation
Intervention Effectiveness Interpretation
Across randomized and pooled studies under Intervention Effectiveness, anti-bullying approaches consistently reduce harm, with bullying victimization dropping by about 14% to 20% and bystander or related interventions cutting perpetration by roughly 16%.
10 · Category
Policy & Legal3 stats
01
As of 2023, 48 states had anti-bullying laws in place in the U.S. (jurisdiction count compiled by a reputable policy tracking resource)
02
In the U.S., 26 states required reporting of bullying incidents to the state or district office (count of states reported in a legal/policy analysis)
03
In a 2022 review, 41% of schools reported implementing at least one formal anti-bullying program as a result of policy and guidance adoption (percentage of schools adopting programs reported)
Interpretation
Policy & Legal Interpretation
As of 2023, nearly 48 states have anti bullying laws and 26 states require formal reporting, yet a 2022 review found only 41% of schools implemented at least one formal anti bullying program, suggesting that policy adoption does not consistently translate into effective school-level action.
11 · Category
Service Access1 stats
01
In 2022, the U.S. National Suicide Lifeline transitioned to 988 service nationwide (service nationwide launch year reported by the Lifeline and FCC)
Interpretation
Service Access Interpretation
In 2022, when the U.S. National Suicide Lifeline expanded to 988 nationwide, it marked a major service access shift by making suicide support available across the country through a single, widely launched number.
report visual · Key figures
Bullying and Suicide-Related Outcomes Are Measured in the Same Youth Survey
In the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, bullying and suicide-related measures are collected concurrently, alongside estimates of bullying and key suicidality indicators.
2021
The 2021 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey measured bullying and suicide outcomes concurrently in the same population-based
8.5%
8.5% of U.S. high school students reported that they had been electronically bullied (cyberbullied) in 2021
13.2%
13.2% of U.S. high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in 2021 (a suic
27%
27% of youth who reported frequent bullying victimization reported suicidal ideation in a 2017 cross-national survey ana
14%
In a 2019 U.S. study of adolescents, 14.0% reported past-year bullying victimization, and bullying victimization was sig
source-verifiedcdc.gov · journals.sagepub.com · jamanetwork.com2021
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Suicide Due To Bullying Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/suicide-due-to-bullying-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Suicide Due To Bullying Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/suicide-due-to-bullying-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Suicide Due To Bullying Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/suicide-due-to-bullying-statistics.
Sources & references
52 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+31 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)