How Can I Identify Bullying? And What Should I Do About It If I Do?

Bullying is a form of behavior often characterized as the targeting of one person or group of people by another person or group.

This behavior can manifest physically, verbally, electronically or socially, and can affect individuals of all age groups. Bullying can be for reasons related to a power imbalance, intimidation, because of a victim's perceived "strangeness" or "otherness" or because of a sense of inadequacy in the bully themselves.

These are not all the reasons for why bullying occurs, but some examples may include:

1. A group of children ostracizing another child because of their race, background, sexuality, etc.
2. Coworkers or a boss in the workplace using their numbers or authority, respectively, to harass or intimidate another employee.
3. A child hurting another because the former is bigger/taller/stronger than the latter.
4. Saying intentionally hurtful or derogatory things online towards another person.

How Common Is Bullying?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied in 2022, and 1 in 6 reported being cyberbullied as well.

The CDC said nearly 40% of high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and about 33% of those who were unsure of their sexual identity experienced bullying at school or electronically in 2022, compared to 22% of heterosexual high school students.

Roughly 30% of female high school students experienced bullying at school or electronically in the last year, compared to about 19% of males.

Nearly 29% of White high school students experienced bullying at school or electronically in the last year compared to about 19% of Hispanic and 18% of Black high school students, according to the CDC.

Consequences Of Bullying

Bullying can be very detrimental to the physical and mental health of its victims, ranging from physical injuries to emotional distress and even death or suicide.

The CDC says bullying increases the risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement and dropping out of school. Youth who bully others are at an increased risk for substance abuse, academic problem and experiencing violence later in adolescence and adulthood.

Youth who bully others and are bullied themselves suffer the most serious consequences and are at greater risk for mental health and behavioral problems.

How To Prevent Bullying?

There are several ways to prevent bullying.

Apart from actively monitoring bullies and their victims, making sure individuals have a way of speaking about their issues in a constructive way, rather than being outwardly destructive to themselves or others, will benefit the mental and physical health of everyone involved. Sometimes bullies bully because they have their own insecurities they are facing.

Sometimes modifications to the environment in which bullying takes place are necessary. It may be necessary to remove someone who is causing a problem, or perhaps a change for everyone in a setting is what is needed.

Making sure others have access to mental health resources is important, but another way to combat bullying is to foster positive relationships among children, coworkers, neighbors, etc. If one person feels threatened, they have multiple avenues to seek help from other people.

According to the CDC, different types of violence are connected and often share root causes. Bullying is linked to other forms of violence through shared risk and protective factors. Addressing and preventing one form of violence may have an impact on preventing other forms of violence.

---

It is our policy to provide resources for anybody considering self-harm when reporting about a situation involving suicide or a suicide attempt. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.

The Veterans Crisis Line and Military Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1) connect veterans and service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.

Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.

For 988 resources, click here.

For more information and resources from the Oklahoma Mental Health and Substance Abuse, click here.