Stopbullying Blog

Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause. Many issues contribute to suicide risk, some of which include depression, substance abuse, problems at home, and trauma history. James Wright is at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the Suicide Prevention Branch. Mr. Wright is the project officer for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and works with states receiving funding for youth suicide prevention through the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.

TRANSCRIPT:

“It is true that individuals that are bullied, and those that bully, have a higher risk of depression and mental health problems.”

James Wright is at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

Kids who bully, and kids who get bullied, may internalize their problems, have low self-esteem, and aggression. 

“And these characteristics also further raise the risk for suicide.”

If you or someone you know is in emotional crisis: 

“Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 1-800-273-TALK. This number is active 24/7. It’s supported by SAMHSA, and is a network of community centers nationwide.”

You can learn how to take action against bullying and prevent it from happening at stopbullying.gov.

Stay connected with stopbullying.gov on Twitter and Facebook.

A product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.