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Teen bullying: What parents need to know

Teen bullying is often in the news. It isn't inevitable, however. Consider features of teen bullying — and practical strategies for preventing and responding to teen bullying.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Perhaps you remember being bullied while you were a teenager, or watching bullies rule the school halls. Now that you're a parent, you want to make sure that your child isn't a target of teen bullying. Give your efforts greater impact by understanding the nature of teen bullying — and how you can respond.

Core features of teen bullying

Teen bullying describes a wide range of aggressive behavior, including direct and indirect aggression. Direct contact can be either verbal or physical, including teasing, name-calling, pushing and hitting. Direct bullying is more common among boys than girls. Indirect bullying — which is more common among girls — happens when adolescents spread rumors about each other, often in an attempt to exclude a peer from social gatherings or other activities.

When teen bullying meets technology, cyber bullying emerges. This so-called "electronic aggression" includes any type of harassment or intimidation that occurs through email, chat rooms, instant messaging, text messaging, websites, blogs or other electronic formats. Through digital technology, aggressive messages can be instantly broadcast to a wide audience. Senders can remain anonymous or fake a user name, and they can attach demeaning or explicit images.

Despite the fact that teen bullying happens in so many ways, researchers commonly distinguish several core features:

  • The aggression is intentional.
  • The aggression is repeated.
  • The aggression thrives on an imbalance of power between the perpetrator and the target.

Consequences of teen bullying

Bullying can worsen the mental health of teenagers who are already dealing with stress — and adolescents who experience teen bullying are more likely to report thoughts of suicide and suicidal behavior. All too often, media reports about bullying-related suicides give a face to this extreme consequence of teen bullying. In addition, targets of cyber bullying are more likely than those who haven't been harassed to use alcohol and other drugs, receive school detention or suspension, skip school, or be bullied in person.

Teen bullying is also associated with higher rates of weapon carrying and fighting that leads to injury. Investigations of several school-based shootings — including those in Pearl, Mississippi; West Paducah, Kentucky; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Springfield, Oregon; and Littleton, Colorado — pointed to bullying as a factor that contributed to the outbreak of violence.

What's unique about teen bullying

Many aspects of teen bullying resemble bullying among younger kids. Still, unique features emerge. For example, teens might be reluctant to report bullying to either parents or school officials. In one study, teens reported a reluctance to talk about cyber bullying with teachers or other adults at school because cyber bullying often happens on cell phones, and it's against school policy to use cell phones during school hours. In addition, teens may be reluctant to report cyber bullying to parents for fear of losing their cell phone or Internet privileges.

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References
  1. Kiriakidis SP, et al. Cyberbullying: A review of the literature on harassment through the Internet and other electronic means. Family and Community Health. 2010;33:82.
  2. How can we help our child avoid being bullied? American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Avoiding-Bullying.aspx. Accessed July 8, 2010.
  3. Electronic media and youth violence: A CDC issue brief for educators and caregivers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/YVP/electronic_agression_brief_for_parents.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2010.
  4. Kaminski JW, et al. Victimization by peers and adolescent suicide in three US samples. Journal of Pediatrics. 2009;155:683.
  5. Lien L, et al. Mental and somatic health complaints associated with school bullying between 10th and 12th grade students; results from cross sectional studies in Oslo, Norway. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health. 2009;5:6.
  6. Zimmerman FJ, et al. Early cognitive stimulation, emotional support, and television watching as predictors of subsequent bullying among grade-school children. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2005;159:384.
  7. Parental involvement key to preventing child bullying. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/PAS2010/bullying.htm. Accessed July 1, 2010.
  8. Wang J, et al. School bullying among adolescents in the United States: Physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2009;45:368.
  9. Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Policy statement - Role of the pediatrician in youth violence prevention. Pediatrics. 2009;124:393.
  10. Facts for families: Bullying. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/bullying. Accessed July 8, 2010.
  11. Srabstein JC. Be aware of bullying: A critical public health responsibility. Virtual Mentor. 2009;11:173.
  12. Agatston PW, et al. Students' perspectives on cyber bullying. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2007;41:S59.
  13. The ABCs of bullying. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. http://pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov/bully/bully_fs_parents.htm. Accessed July 8, 2010.
MY01348 Sept. 8, 2010

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