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School Bullying

School bullying remains a serious and widespread issue affecting millions of students across the United States each year. From classrooms and cafeterias to texts and social media, young people are being targeted in ways that can deeply impact their mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being.

Here we have compiled the most recent and relevant statistics from 2024 to help parents, educators, students, and advocates understand the scope of the problem—and take informed action.

Together, we can raise awareness, support those affected, and work toward safer, more inclusive schools.

What is school bullying?

School bullying isn’t just “kids being kids.” It’s a serious, repeated abuse of power that can leave lifelong emotional scars.

“Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.”

Key characteristics of school bullying:

  • Power Imbalance: Bullying often involves a physical, social, or emotional advantage used to dominate a student.
  • Repetition: These behaviors happen repeatedly or are very likely to recur.
  • Intent to Harm: It’s not conflict—it’s targeted behavior meant to cause pain, fear, or isolation.

Types of school bullying:

  • Physical: Hitting, pushing, or other forms of physical aggression.
  • Verbal: Name-calling, insults, or threats.
  • Social/Relational: Exclusion, spreading rumors, public humiliation.
  • Cyberbullying: Harassment through digital platforms—often anonymous, relentless, and devastating.

— U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, StopBullying.gov

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students report being bullied.
Pacer Center

Overview of Bullying in Schools

  • 34% of teens aged 12–17 report being bullied in the past 12 months. CDC
  • 19.2% of students aged 12–18 experienced bullying during the 2021–2022 school year. Pacer Center
  • Bullying is more common in middle school (26.3%) than high school (15.7%). StopBullying.gov
  • Girls (21.8%) are more likely to be bullied than boys (16.7%). StopBullying.gov

Where Bullying Happens

  • Classrooms: 39%
  • Hallways or Stairwells: 37.5%
  • Cafeterias: 25.1%
  • Outside School Grounds: 24.4%
  • Online or via Text (Cyberbullying): 21.6%
  • Bathrooms/Locker Rooms: 11.9%
  • Gym/Weight Rooms: 10.8%
  • School Buses: 9.8%
  • StopBullying.gov

Forms of Bullying

  • Verbal bullying (name-calling/insults): 13%
  • Spreading rumors: 15%
  • Physical bullying {pushing, hitting): 4.9%
  • Exclusion from activities: 3.7%
  • Threats of harm: 3.3%
  • Sharing harmful private information: 2.5%
  • StopBullying.gov

Cyber-bullying

Bullying is not a milestone—it’s a crisis that endangers student safety and mental health.

Bullying & Vulnerable Groups

Frequency of Bullying

Among bullied teens in the past year:

  • 1.7% were bullied almost daily
  • 4.4% bullied weekly
  • 6.5% bullied monthly
  • 21.5% bullied once or twice a year
  • CDC NCHS Data Brief No. 514

Mental Health Effects of Bullying

  • Bullied students are 2x more likely to report anxiety and depression:
  • Anxiety symptoms: 29.8% (bullied) vs. 14.5% (not bullied)
  • Depression symptoms: 28.5% vs. 12.1%

Anyone can bully,
& anyone can be bullied.

Reporting and Intervention

  • 44.2% of bullied students reported it to school staff. StopBullying.gov
  • When bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the time. American SPCC
  • Parents turn to:
  • 55%: Teachers or counselors
  • 21%: Other parents
  • 14%: School administrators
  • 8%: Mental health professionals
  • 2%: Law enforcement
  • StopBullying.gov

Long-Term Impact of Bullying

  • Victims of childhood bullying are more likely to experience:

Learn more about school bullying from leading experts and get support.

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