Bullying Knows No Boundaries: Addressing the Impact on Students and Adults in Every Space

National Bullying Prevention Month is a nationwide initiative established in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Observed throughout the month of October, this campaign unites communities across the country to educate the public and raise awareness about bullying prevention. PACER launched the original National Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week to shine a light on the serious impacts of bullying, shifting the narrative from viewing it as a harmless “rite of passage” to recognizing it as a harmful behavior with long-lasting consequences. Today, the National Bullying Prevention Month encourages communities to come together in creating safe, supportive environments that encourage open dialogue and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion, striving toward a world free from bullying.

Bullying remains a serious issue, with 20.2% of students reporting that they have been bullied and nearly 30% of adults indicating they have experienced workplace bullying. Those who face bullying are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep problems, reduced performance, and the potential to drop out of school or leave their jobs. Both bullies and their victims are more likely to suffer from mental health and behavioral issues. Bullying can significantly damage self-esteem and disrupt relationships with friends and family, impacting both performance and physical health.

Bullies often act out due to a combination of psychological traits and personal insecurities. Research shows that bullies tend to lack empathy, have little anxiety, and misinterpret others’ intentions, often perceiving hostility in neutral situations. They may not be well-liked by others, but they view themselves positively. In both school and workplace environments, bullying frequently stems from a need for control and attention, driven by feelings of inadequacy or resentment toward others. This behavior can be reinforced when bullies face minimal consequences or even receive approval from higher-ups. Additionally, many bullies come from backgrounds where aggression was normalized as a defense mechanism, shaping their behavior as a way to assert dominance and protect themselves.

What makes an interaction bullying?

For an interaction to be considered bullying, it must involve:

• Purposeful, aggressive, and harmful behavior
• Repeated actions over time, including through digital means.
• An imbalance of power between the perpetrator and the target.

Not all aggressive behavior qualifies as bullying. Bullying occurs when there is a repeated pattern of aggression where the bully holds an advantage—whether physical, social, intellectual, or psychological—over the victim. This power imbalance is central to understanding the bullying dynamic. While isolated incidents of aggression are still concerning, addressing bullying requires a distinct approach that considers developmental factors and the complex social structures influencing the behavior.

The Four Categories of Bullying

Bullying, typically falls into four main categories:

Bullying behavior is complex and involves more than just a perpetrator and a victim; it often plays out as a group dynamic where individuals take on different roles. While males are more likely to engage in physical bullying and females in relational bullying, both genders participate in a mix of bullying types. The key roles include the perpetrator (the one who bullies), the victim (the target), the bystander (someone who witnesses the bullying), and the bully/victim (someone who is both a bully and a victim). These roles are fluid, meaning individuals can shift between them over time or in different situations. For instance, someone who bullies in one context may become a victim in another.

Bullying is shaped by a range of factors at individual, peer, family, school, and community levels. On an individual level, impulsivity, low empathy, a desire for popularity, or poor social skills can contribute to bullying behavior. Peer influence also plays a role, with pressure to fit in, aggressive group norms, and group dynamics driving individuals to bully. Family environments marked by limited adult supervision, sibling bullying, or exposure to aggression at home can further fuel this behavior. At school, a lack of supervision, ineffective policies, or a negative climate can make bullying more likely, while community factors such as limited resources, dangerous neighborhoods, or workplace bullying also contribute to the problem. In the workplace, factors like organizational culture, lack of management oversight, and competitive environments can create an atmosphere where bullying thrives, often going unchecked.

Bullying can have profound effects on mental and physical health. Those involved in bullying—whether as perpetrators, victims, or witnesses—are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches. Victims may also experience academic struggles due to stress. Perpetrators are at higher risk for conduct disorders, while those who fall into the bully/victim category are the most affected, often experiencing heightened mental health issues like anxiety and depression. In the workplace, bullying can lead to decreased job satisfaction, lower productivity, and increased absenteeism, ultimately affecting team dynamics and overall organizational health.

The National Bullying Prevention Center has established National Bullying Prevention Month as a powerful call to action, empowering communities to play a role in bullying prevention. Hundreds of schools and organizations have joined the effort, supported by major corporations like Facebook, Disney, and CNN, amplifying the message through media outreach.

Show Your Support

During National Bullying Prevention Month, we encourage everyone to:

Over one in five students will experience bullying this year, and this issue extends beyond the classroom; adults in the workplace also face similar challenges, affecting someone you know. Bullying is a serious issue that must be addressed across all environments, as it is not merely a rite of passage. Every individual, whether a child or an adult, has the right to feel safe and supported, a principle upheld by state laws and workplace policies. The effects of bullying impact not only the victims but also witnesses and even the aggressors. Silence is not an option; we must empower everyone to respond effectively to bullying situations. A unified effort in bullying prevention emphasizes the importance of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion for all.

References

National Bullying Helpline. (2022). Bullying at work – Information for employees dealing with workplace bullying. https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/employees.html#why

OpenAI. (2004). BullyingPreventionMonth [ChatGPT]. OpenAI.

PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. (2023). Bullying statistics. https://www.pacer.org/bullying/info/stats.asp

PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. (2024). Key messages and talking points. https://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/spreadtheword/key-messages.asp

Purdue University. (2022). Workplace bullying takes an emotional, physical toll; support is in place to help. https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/archive/purduetoday/releases/2022/Q1/workplace-bullying-takes-an-emotional,-physical-toll-support-is-in-place-to-help.html

Ye, Z., Wu, D., He, X., Ma, Q., Peng, J., Mao, G., Feng, L., & Tong, Y. (2023). Meta-analysis of the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. BMC psychiatry, 23(1), 215. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04681-4

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