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. It’s important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern. Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical health, school, and mental health issues. Marci Hertz is at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Prevention Practice and Translation Branch of the Division of Violence Prevention. Marci oversees CDC’s efforts related to youth violence prevention, including the STRYVE initiative (Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere).

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At the third Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit, attendees asked for ways to easily access and understand the latest research on bullying. In an effort to respond to this request, the StopBullying.gov blog will from time-to-time feature briefs of recent research reports published in some of the top-tier research journals.

Many factors place students at risk for being bullied. Research published in the American Journal of Public Health finds that kids and teens from poor families are more likely to be bullied than others. The study, which surveyed over 160,000 students from nearly 6,000 schools in Europe and North America, also concluded that schools with the largest economic inequality (or a big difference... Continue Reading

Scott Hannah, 17, and Tyler Gregory, 18, know all too well the impact that bullying can have. As a result, they are both taking a stand against bullying in their community. Originally intending to simply raise awareness about bullying at their local South Charleston high school in Ohio, Scott and Tyler ended up leaving a much more significant impact on their community. After their local campaign at their high school peaked in success, the teens were inspired to expand their involvement with the anti-bullying movement and participate in the “Great American No BULL challenge,” an... Continue Reading

Throughout the bullying prevention world, the phrase, “I have the solution to bullying!” is all too common. As attention to bullying has grown, so have the number of products and tools claiming to reduce or eliminate bullying in schools and communities. But do they work? This question may seem simple, but there are a lot of factors to consider, including the specific situation and context. The same strategies that may see tremendous success in one school might have no effect in another. So how can you identify what will work for you?

The first thing to keep in mind is whether there is evidence that the program or strategy works. Evidence usually means that the program or strategy has been tested or evaluated and has demonstrated results, such as, the program reduces bullying. But not all evidence is equal. Typically, for a program to be considered evidence-based, and... Continue Reading

Bullying can happen anywhere—cities, suburbs, or rural towns. Depending on the environment, some groups—such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) youth, youth with disabilities, and socially isolated youth—may be at an increased risk of being bullied. Ingrid Donato is at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and is Chief of the Mental Health Promotion Branch within the Center for Mental Health Services. Ingrid oversees programs aimed at preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in youth and young adults, including addressing issues such as youth violence, bullying prevention, and early childhood development, as well as screening, systems integration, and access to care.

Recognizing the warning signs is an important first step in taking action against bullying. Not all children who are bullied or are... Continue Reading