The latest bullying statistics and facts prove the negative effects bullying has on the victim and victimizer.
Is Bullying Common?
Sadly, bullying statistics from 2012 - 13 and a variety of studies report that bullying is very common. These bullying statistics are staggering:
- One in five Canadian youth report being bullied regularly (Canadian Red Cross, 2013)
- 45 per cent of the child respondents in a University of Guelph study do not feel safe when they go to school (University of Guelph's Psychology Department, 2004 study)
- 16 per cent of youth in grades 7-9 experience bullying more than 12 times a year (Statistics Canada, 2007)
- When a friend steps in, bullying stops 57 per cent of the time in 10 seconds or less (Canadian Red Cross, 2013)
 MORE ON BULLYING IN CANADA
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Information for Parents
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The Internet makes the problem even bigger by making bullying easier and less likely to be reported. Bullying statistics show that cyberbulling is an enourmous problem facing youth today:
- 65 per cent of respondents reportated having been the targets of cyberbullying at least once ("Cyberbullying: Reality Check 2012", Kids Help Phone)
- One in four school students has been bullied online (University of Toronto)
- 70 per cent of sexual harassment incidents occurred online (University of Toronto)
- Less than 50 per cent of cyberbullying is reported (University of Toronto)
- The Quebec English School Boards Association conducted a survey and found "17 percent of respondents had pretended to be someone else in order to 'act mean to people and not get into trouble.'"
- Those most at risk of cyberbullying are children aged 12-14 years old (Tokunaga, 2010; "Cyberbullying: Reality Check 2012", Kids Help Phone)
- Girls are more at-risk for experiencing cyberbullying than boys (Engupta & Chaudhuri, 2011; Tokunaga, 2010; "Cyberbullying: Reality Check 2012", Kids Help Phone)
- 63 per cent of respondents reported experiencing cyberbullying through social networking, 26 per cent through texting and 11% through IM/MSN ("Cyberbullying: Reality Check 2012", Kids Help Phone)
Negative Effects of Bullying
Bullying has negative effects on everyone involved. According to Bullying Canada, bullying has an emotional impact on children, making them feel:
Bullying can also make children ill, leading to
long-term physical and psychological consequences. In
The Social Outcast, a 2005 study of bullying, the authors agree that bullying can lead to:
- depression
- anxiety
- low self esteem
- susceptibility to illness
Bullying can kill, in fact. In 2002, the US Secret Service concluded that many school shootings were rooted in bullying. Bullying results in suicide all too often.
Our Kids recognizes the serious effects of bullying. For more articles or posts on this topic consider reading parents of bullied children in Canada and the bullycide epidemic.
How Do We Stop Bullying?
There is a known correlation between supervision and reduced bullying. Bullying festers where teachers, parents and other authority figures are less present. Some schools with bullying problems have helped reduce the issue by adding Closed Circuit TV cameras. The bullying statistics above show that speaking up and taking action at the moment bullying takes place can drastically reduce or stop bullying.
In some types of bullying such as cyberbullying, children might feel that they have to deal with it on their own or that authority figures in their lives "just wouldn't understand." However, it's important to ensure that all children feel supported and know that they can talk to someone about bullying or cyberbullying.
Bullying has been a part of human culture since the beginning of time but it can be stopped and it can be erased. Of course, the place to start is with attitudes and addressing the perpetuation of myths about bullying.
Additional Sources and Statistics on Bullying in Canada:
What is bullying
U of T study: one quarter of local students harassed via web, cellphones
Stop A Bully
Anti-Bullying Day
Kids Help Phone
Canadian Red Cross
Bullying Statistics from PREVNet
