Research on bullying is still in the embryonic stages in this country. However, available figures indicate that school bullying can have major social, educational, health, and other consequences for the children who bully, the children who are bullied, the witnesses of violence, and their communities:
- Youth who are bullied have higher rates of suicide, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse.ref
- Hostile kids who mistrust others are much more likely than their peers to develop physical symptoms linked to diabetes and heart attacks in the future.ref
- Youth who bully others frequently behave badly in school and are more likely to smoke and drink alcohol.ref
- According to the latest Secret Service Safe School Initiative, almost 75 percent of students who used violent weapons at school (e.g., guns or knives) to attack others felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by others prior to the incident.ref
Source: SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services