Bullying Hurts

Not only is bullying upsetting for the victims, it can be harmful to young bystanders, too. In a study of more than 2,000 students, ages 12 to 16, one-third of the kids had been the victim of bullying, and nearly two-thirds had seen other kids being bullied. Other kids were bullies themselves.

Witnessing this behavior was associated with a higher risk of several mental health and emotional issues such as anxiety. Seeing bullies in action could cause distress because bystanders may worry that they, too, will be bullied. Or the bystanders may feel bad if they’d like to intervene but don’t do so.

As a result, school officials who deal with bullying should remember that it doesn’t just involve the bullies and victims … but also the other students who see it happen.