Bullying is an epidemic in our schools.
For many children, being bullied is a silent, shameful event:
Bullying remains a significant risk indicator associated with suicide attempt. There is a vulnerability to bullying during early adolescence, suggesting early preventive and context-appropriate interventions may be necessary to impact suicide behaviors and to help resolve mental health issues. There is a need to prioritize school-based intervention models to target both in-person and cyber bullying. GSBSH Survey
Suicide has become the 2nd leading cause of death among young people. - Nat’l Center for Disease Control
Over 3,000,000 kids stay home from school at least once per month due to bullying. - Nat’l Center for Disease Control, Youth Risk Behavior Survey
20% of high schoolers report that they have been bullied. - National Center for Education Statistics
60% of middle school students say they have been bullied while 16% of staff say they believe students have been bullied. - James Burns, Bullying in Schools
Students in high risk groups are even more vulnerable. More than twice the number of LGBTQ students are threatened, injured, bullied at school or electronically bullied than heterosexual students. - Nat’l Center for Disease Control
Racial minority, religious minority, students with disabilities are bullied at higher rates than the general population. - FSU, College of Education
Bullying causes depression, anxiety, physical ailments, loss of self esteem, misdirected anger at family or friends, self hatred, and can ultimately lead to suicide. - PTSD - The Invisible Injury, David Kinchin
Bullied children are more likely to take drugs while their tormentors suffer stress as adults. - Psychological Science
Bullied children are more than 8 times more likely to have suicide ideations. - US National Library of Medicine
Bullied children are 2 times more likely to have attempted suicide. - Hinduja & Patchin Study
In 2019, 1 in 5 teens have seriously considered suicide while 1 in 11 teens have attempted suicide. - Nat’l Center for Disease Control
Suicide attempts peak during school seasons of autumn and spring. - Vanderbilt University Study
In schools where there are anti-bullying programs, bullying is reduced by over 50%. - Clemson University Study