Bullying statistics

In our society and throughout the world bullying has become a major problem that has gone beyond playground taunts to now infiltrate the workplace as well as the internet. Bullying in schools, cyberbullying, and workplace cyberbullying, unfortunately, can be found in just about every group and social setting in the year 2016. According to the American Psychological Association bullying is defined as a form of aggressive behavior in which an individual repeatedly and intentionally causes another person discomfort or injury. The bullying can take many different forms and also has several causes. It can happen to kids, teens, and adults in a wide variety of settings.

The following provides statistics and information on bullying throughout the world. There are statistics regarding individual countries that highlight general problems with bullying as well as successful programs some countries have put in place. There are also news stories that show the individual struggles so many children and adults go through at the hands of bullies. Languages and cultures may differ, but the pain from bullying does not.

Bullying Statistics from Around the World

According to Quartz the country of Austria has more problems with bullying than any other country in what is considered the western world. The report was based on boys aged 11 to 15. The report stated that 21 percent of boys in this age group in Austria said they had been bullied. The country of Estonia was a close second with 20 percent admitting to be bullied. Russia was third in the world with 18 percent in this age group being bullied.

The United States reported that 11 percent suffered from bullying in this particular age group. It is interesting to note that 11 percent was the average percentage of all the countries in this report. Germany and Finland were also at 11 percent. Italy and Sweden reported the lowest amount of bullying with numbers at 5 and 4 percent respectively.

Australian Bullying Statistics

There are simply too many stories about bullying that are occurring around the globe. Quotes and news sources from many different countries attest to the problem. According to bullyingnoway.gov, bullying is a problem even down under in Australia. The following are a few of the statistics regarding bullying in Australia.

Over 25 percent of year 4 to year 9 students in Australia reported being bullied at least every few weeks.
There were 84 percent of students who reported that they were bullied both online and offline.
Peers that were onlookers played a major part in 87 percent of incidents involving bullying.
It was reported that teasing was the most common form of bullying. Lies that were told about someone was the second most prevalent type of bullying.

Brazilian Statistics

The government website NCBI reports that over 27 percent of Brazilian young people have been treated inappropriately by their peers. This study regarding school children in Brazil also found that bullying was a greater problem among boys and the children whose mothers had lower levels of education. Most of the children reported that the school or the route to school was where most bullying took place. This study also supported the results of a Brazilian study done earlier regarding the type of school setting that bullying most often occurs in. Bullying levels were consistent in schools no matter the size, location, or grade levels. Bullying is therefore widespread among several types of communities. Youth Venture discusses some of the results of a questionnaire and study that was conducted in Brazil regarding students and bullying. Some of the results included the following.

Violent bullying occurs most often in the Center-West and Southeast regions of Brazil.
The 11 to 15 year-old age group suffers from the most bullying. It occurs most frequently in the sixth grade.
This particular study found that students have a difficult time knowing the difference between bullying and joking.

Canadian Bullying Statistics

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research reports several statistics and information about bullying in Canada. Part of the report states that 47 percent of parents in Canada have a child that has been bullied. Workplace bullying is also a problem in Canada as 40 percent of workers have reported being bullied on a weekly basis. Facts about cyberbullying in Canada reveal that the most common form involves receiving aggressive or threatening emails. Specific cyberbullying information includes the following.

Having someone post an embarrassing photo on the Internet has happened to 16 percent of students.
The amount of students who said that someone hacked their account on the Internet was 12 percent.
Online harassment has been witnessed by 17 percent of boys and 25 percent of girls.
Negative experiences with all types of social networking have been reported by 51 percent of teens.

Chinese Bullying Statistics

Bullying, unfortunately, is deeply entrenched throughout the Asian world. Lu Hongyong, an editor at the news source Sixth Tone, describes some of his frustrations about bullying in China. Hongyong talks about the bullying his son has endured and how bullying in China is a serious problem that must be addressed. Most people realize the pressure to succeed and do well academically is intense in China. What they might not realize is that bullying is many times resolved by the bully’s family offering monetary compensation. While that may be necessary if property damage has occurred it certainly has not solved the problem or revealed and dealt with the underlying causes behind the bullying. In China, middle school bullying seems to be the most severe as it is in the United States. China.org reported several statistics about bullying in China.

The most prevalent age group for bullying is during high school with a reported 75 percent of all bullying cases in this group.
In the junior high age group (13 to 15) there were the second highest number of cases.
It was reported that conflicts in everyday life was the motivating factor behind most of the bullying.

English Bullying Statistics

According to the Guardian English kids are the most unhappy throughout the world because of all the bullying they endure. It is estimated that close to half a million children between the ages of 10 and 12 are reported to have been physically bullied while at school. In comparing students in England to other students throughout Europe the following statistics have been compiled.

Students in English schools felt a high level of “being left out” in regards to other students and activities. Girls had a 40 percent more likelihood of feeling left out than boys did.
Children who reported the lowest levels of satisfaction in life were those at age 16. Age 17 was a close second, with age 15 coming in third.
There were over a dozen countries included in this particular survey. These countries included England, Poland, Norway, Germany, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Estonia, South Africa, Algeria, Romania, Columbia, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Israel. The students in England were more unhappy with their lives than any other country except for South Korea.
According to research there has been a decline in recent years of the more physical, violent types of bullying because of the efforts made by new laws and government reforms. However, cyberbullying, and in particular, bullying through social media, has been on the rise among young people in England.

Indian Bullying Statistics

While overall statistics and research aren’t as in-depth in Asian countries as it is throughout the West, there is enough evidence to suggest bullying throughout schools in India has reached epidemic proportions. The Times of India has reported that 1 out of every 3 children are bullied while in school. Some experts in India have suggested that parents have become more involved with their children in recent years and that they shadow their every move. This increased control over their children’s lives perhaps increases the likelihood that children will not become as self-empowered and will more easily fall prey to bullies. The Indian Express reported alarming rates of cyberbullying that young people in India have experienced. The report discussed how online behavior had a major impact on the lives of the young people who were affected offline as well. The statistics they collected include the following.

Of all young people in India 50 percent have either been cyberbullied or have witnessed others being bullied online.
It is reported that 36 percent of Indian young people have been bullied online.
Social media use is so prevalent in India that 52 percent of young people access social media while they are at school.
Tweens in India are online during school hours at a rate of 57 percent while teens are online at 47 percent.
Indian young people have posted personal information such as phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses at a rate of 70 percent.
Youth in India that have admitted to embellishing their online profile to make themselves appear older or even creating fake profiles is 64 percent.
A surprising finding in India is that most parents don’t even discuss online safety with their children.

Israel bullying Statistics

Bullying in schools and online has long been a problem in Israel. The Times of Israel has reported that one third of all Israelis suffer from some type of online bullying. Several statistics regarding bullying in Israel, and in particular online bullying, include the following.

When it comes to handling online harassment 43 percent said they tried to deal with it themselves.
About 36 percent said they went to the webmaster at the site to take action when there was any type of problem.
About 7 percent tried to reach out to the person who had bullied them for a resolution.
Approximately 13 percent stated that they didn’t know what to do about the situation.
Earlier research has shown that over 50 percent of boys had been bullied in Jerusalem schools. Almost 40 percent of girls had been bullied while at school.

Japanese Bullying Statistics

Japan has a culture that promotes hard work and resilience. However, competition to succeed is sometimes brutal, children are often expected to conform to strict societal standards, and those with perceived weaknesses may be preyed upon. Because of these aspects of the culture many children have suffered bullying in silence in Japan. After a 13 year-old student committed suicide in Otsu, shiga Prefecture by jumping to his death from an apartment building after being bullied mercilessly, the Japanese government took bold action against bullying. On September 28, 2013 the Anti-bullying Act was enacted in Japan. This act officially prohibits any bullying and obligates local governments and schools to put together policies to prevent bullying. This particular act also places emphasis on parents and children when it comes to preventing bullying.

Savvy Tokyo discusses several different statistics about bullying in Japan. This article also includes the word for bullying in Japan, “ijime.” The article highlights a study that was completed by Tokyo Metropolitan School.

Almost 47 percent of children in the survey had both received and inflicted bullying.
Most bullying, 64.5 percent, were verbal insults, teasing, or threats. These were usually repeated and extremely difficult to ignore.
The second most prominent type of bullying was kicking and hitting that was disguised as just playing. This was just over 22 percent.
The third type, which is regarded as quintessential bullying in Japan, was being ignored by the peer group. This was at 19.1 percent.
As with bullying throughout most of the rest of the world, it increases in Japan exponentially from the 5th grade through middle school.

Mexican Bullying Statistics

Latina Lista reports that Mexico has an extremely high rate of bullying among students. The report was based on information from a variety of sources including the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OEDC). Physical damage because of violence among students in middle schools was reported by 10 percent of the principals in Mexico. Theft and vandalism was reported at rates of 12 percent in Mexican schools. Other countries in the report stated there was a rate of 2 percent of physical damage because of violence and 4 percent of theft and vandalism. According to the Global Post bullying in Mexico has become extremely violent in recent years. Some have blamed this on the influence of the drug cartels. Some of the incidents that have occurred in recent years include the following.

The National Human Rights Commission in Mexico received 50 bullying complaints in the year 2000.
The same organization received over 1,000 complaints about bullying in 2013.
Thousands of drug cartel victims are shot and left in the streets, which may be desensitizing kids to violence.
Since 2008 there have been over 70,000 drug related killings in Mexico.

Bullying in Norway

Norway is known as a tranquil country and has some of the overall lowest statistics when it comes to bullying. The country boasts a high standard of living and a low crime rate, providing a laid back and peaceful environment for its citizens. But even here bullying has reared its ugly head. Through the years Nordic countries have implemented several methods to deter bullying. KIVA is one such program as well as the Olweus Bullying Program.

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) is one of the most successful and well-known prevention programs in the world. Characteristics of the program include defining what is a bullying situation, what causes bullying, and then enacting legislation and providing resources to fight bullying. Some facts and statistics about the program included the following.

The program first started with 2,500 students that were from 42 different schools.
Just two and-a-half years after starting the program reports of being bullied dropped by 50 percent.
There were also significant reductions in the amount of truancy, vandalism, and fighting.
Because of the success of reducing all types of bullying ( in country ) the program was taken to other countries, including the United States.

Russian Bullying Incidents

Bullying in Russia has always been a serious problem. The country is ranked third in the world when it comes to bullying on a global level. Some of the bullying incidents that have been caught on tape in recent years have been particularly brutal. The following have been some of the incidents that have taken place.

The Daily Mail reported how girls in Russia forced a classmate to drink from a dirty mud puddle because they were jealous of how pretty she was. The 13-year-old girl, Vlada Kholod, was attacked at a school in Korkino, Russia by several classmates. After being beaten and forced to drink from a mud puddle it was discovered that two boys had videotaped the incident. It was later uploaded to a social media site.

Another case from Russia occurred when a young man was killed by his attackers while in school. Sergei Casper was tied up and dunked in a toilet by his tormentors. Still having his hands and feet tied he was carried back to the classroom. He was stood up while apparently still dizzy and began to stumble. The teen died when he fell forward and hit the edge of his throat on a desk. It is hard to determine what is more disturbing about this horrific incident, that part of the attack was caught on video or that the teacher was in the room when it occurred.

United Kingdom Facts and Statistics

Countries in the United Kingdom include England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The following are several facts and statistics regarding bullying in the United Kingdom.

Young people that are in the age group of 8 to 22 have stated that they are worried about being bullied at a college or university as well as throughout earlier levels of school.
Being bullied before the age of 18 has been reported by 45 percent of young people.
Suffering self-esteem issues because of bullying has happened to 83 percent of young people.
Because of the pain associated with bullying 30 percent of young people have engaged in self-harm.
Approximately 10 percent have attempted suicide because of bullying.

The Long Term Effects of Bullying

The long term effects of bullying can be devastating to those who have been picked on, harassed, embarrassed, or threatened in any way. Whether it is sibling bullying, bullying by classmates, or complete strangers, the effects of bullying may linger for a lifetime. Many people who have been bullied may consider or attempt suicide. Bullying Statistics includes information regarding the serious consequences of bullying.

A British study found that at least half the suicides that occur among younger people have some sort of connection to bullying.
More than 14 percent of all high school students have thought about committing suicide and 7 percent have actually attempted it.
The groups that may be at highest risk for suicide are 10 to 14 year-old girls.
Those who have been bullied are likely to consider suicide at a rate of 2 to 9 times more than those who have not endured bullying.

Cyberbullying Statistics

Stopbullying.gov states that the definition of cyberbullying is bullying that takes place on electronic devices such as computers, tablets, and cell phones. It can include sending mean, threatening, or embarrassing messages or pictures. It is so dangerous because it can come from people who can remain completely anonymous. Individuals can set up fake profiles and pretend to be people they’re not. Cyberbullying can be more traumatic and difficult to control than regular bullying because it can take place 24 hours a day. It can even be going on when someone is sleeping.

Because of increased use of technology worldwide, cyberbullying is rising (in the United States as well as outside of the country) . The Japan Times has reported that incidents of cyberbullying have risen dramatically in recent years. Because of the increase in using smart phones to bully others as well as recent high profile suicides, new laws have been put in place in Japan. Some statistics on cyberbullying include the following.

Almost 43 percent of kids have been bullied while online. About 25 percent have reported that it has happened more than once.
Since 80 percent of teenagers use a cell phone on a regular basis this is the way most cyberbullying takes place.
It’s reported that 81 percent of children and teens believe that being a bully online is easier than doing it in person.
Only 10 percent of bully victims will tell an adult they trust about what is happening.

GuardChild is an organization that works to educate and empower parents regarding cyberbullying. The founder has several years of experience in both the field of technology and criminal justice. They have compiled an extensive list of statistics from a variety of sources throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.

The number of parents that know their children have been bullied on a social networking site are 1 out of 6.
Adolescents who admitted to online bullying through Facebook was 87 percent.
Adolescents who experienced bullying through Twitter was 19 percent.
Of those who have been bullied online, 60 percent said they never reported any bullying to the social media websites.
The majority of young people don’t tell their parents that they are the victims of cyberbullying.
Less than 20 percent of cyberbullying incidents are reported to authorities such as police.
About 20 percent of teenagers have sent or posted nude or sexual pictures of themselves online.
While about 50 percent of adolescents have experienced some type of cyberbullying, up to 20 percent experience it on a regular basis.

Bullying Statistics in Schools

Bullying has been a problem in schools for many years but only recently has a widespread effort to understand and stop bullying taken place. According to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, approximately 1 out of every 3 students in the United States say that while they’ve been at school they have been bullied. Nearly 70 percent admit to having witnessed bullying taking place in their schools. Dosomething.org lists several facts and statistics about bullying in our schools.

Physical bullying will rise in elementary school and become the most prevalent during the middle school years. It will begin to decline during high school.
Verbal types of bullying remains about the same through elementary, middle, and high school.
It is reported that 90 percent of 4th through 8th grade students have stated they have been bullied.
It is estimated that 1 of every 10 students will drop out of school because of continued bullying.
About 25 percent of teachers believe there isn’t anything wrong with bullying.

Workplace Bullying

Workplace bullying can often be subtle and even go unnoticed by those who are being bullied. It is important to discuss what bullying is NOT. A manager making decisions about an employee’s poor work performance and even taking disciplinary action regarding the poor work performance is not bullying. Learning how to deal with bullying situations is something many adults in the workplace have never learned.

Many people have become accustomed to the idea that it is normal to have a “tough” boss. They may even not like their job to begin with so they don’t realize that at least part of the problem is a supervisor or co-worker who is a bully. The Society For Human Resource Management discusses how protections against workplace bullying differs throughout the world. While much emphasis has been placed on sexual harassment in years, being bullied at work is four times more likely to happen in the United States than being the victim of sexual harassment. This may be because workplace bullying may be thought of as more harmless than sexual harassment. However, the costs of bullying in the workplace include an enormous amount of lost production time because of employees missing work or simply being preoccupied with the negative circumstances in the workplace. There are some steps various countries have taken to stop bullying in the workplace

The Labor Code in France states that employers are obligated to prevent any type of psychological harassment.
The Working Environment Act in Norway states that fighting bullying in the workplace is part of the systematic safety and health programs.
In Canada the Ontario Province has stated that employers are obligated to protect their employees from psychological harassment while at work. They must also have a written policy regarding harassment in place that provides employees with information about the policy.
Australia has implemented a Fair Work Commission policy that give workers an avenue in which to file complaints and receive an investigation if they are victims of workplace bullying.

Why People Cyberbully

There are a variety of reasons why both children and adults may engage in cyberbullying. One reason is simply because most people are now “plugged in” virtually all day long. Many people, children and adults alike, spend most of their waking hours on a computer or a cell phone. Another reason is because the bullies can more easily remain anonymous. Even if the bullying is known to the person being bullied, it can be difficult to prove when attacks are coming through email, texting, or forms of social media. A third reason is that it may make the bully feel powerful. Nearly all bullies feel a sense of superiority or power over their victims but the ability to reach literally thousands of people through electronic methods can give the bully even more sense of power and control.

Parental involvement can go a long way in helping prevent cyberbullying among children. Parents can also help their children learn how to handle bullying of all types. Pure Sight provides cyberbullying facts and promotes cyberbullying awareness. They have several examples of statistics from around the world regarding parental awareness of bullying. These are statistics on cyberbullying ( country by country).

Parent awareness of cyberbullying in Mexico is 36 percent. This is just right below the average of 38 percent.
Parent awareness in Sweden in 65 percent. This country has one of the highest rates of parental awareness.
France has the lowest rate of parental awareness at 15 percent.
Italy and Spain are just slightly ahead of France with awareness rates of 18 and 16 percent respectively.

How to Deal With Bullying

Living under the threat of a bully whether at school, work, online, or off can have devastating effects. The following information provides statistics for each type of bullying and suggestions for handling different types of bullying.

Verbal Bullying – The first line of defense when dealing with verbal bullying is to ignore the bully. This may be extremely difficult. But if the bully sees that he or she isn’t getting a reaction out of the individual they may stop. The second step is to tell someone in authority about the bullying. This could include a parent, teacher, or a superior at work. It is also advised to remain as civil as possible. Again, if the victim doesn’t sink to the level of the bully, he or she may lose interest.
(It is estimated that 77 percent of all kids have admitted to being bullied. Verbal bullying is the most common type of bullying.)
Physical Bullying – Simply ignoring the bully is not an option once the bullying has become physical. It is advised to take pictures of any bruises or marks left by the bully. Those in authority, and even the police will likely need to be notified if the physical harm continues to take place.
(It is reported that 26 percent of females and 46 percent of males have been victims of physical fights.)
Social Bullying – For children it is recommended to initially try to ignore this type of bullying. Being with a group of trusted friends whenever the bully is around may help to diffuse the situation and discourage the bully.
(Bullying is on the rise for teens and children in a variety of social settings.)
Cyberbullying – If an individual is being bullied online the first step is not to respond to the bully in any manner. If the bullying continues it is advised to record all emails and text messages as evidence. If the person being bullied is a child it is important that a trusted adult be notified of the situation as soon as possible.
(About 58 percent of young people admit to having something unkind or mean being said about them online.)

History of Bullying

According to a report put out by Elon University bullying has been part of American society since its inception. While having a society based on capitalism and competition provides many positive benefits it may also at times allow bullies to go unpunished, or even be rewarded. Political conflict in the United States and throughout the world has often contributed to the rise of bullies. The word bully can even be traced back to the 1500s. The first recorded death due to bullying was on October 4, 1862 in Canterbury, United Kingdom. A 12 year-old boy at Kings School died from behavior related to bullying.

Throughout much of history bullying was viewed as the “survival of the fittest” or even recently as a normal part of adolescence. Many parents may have even believed it was a rite of childhood and that kids needed to work these things out among themselves, and even develop skills to cope. Research in recent years has shown that bullying should be understood to be a serious problem for many children. It is now known that there can be a lasting impact for many years for both those who are victims of bullying as well as those who are bullies. While elementary and high school cyberbullying has become prevalent, so has ways to stop cyberbullying. How to stop everything from office bullying to promoting nocyberbullying policies is gaining traction. Today, fortunately, the public has a better understanding of how to define bullying and resources are available to deal with these issues.

Laws Against Bullying

In 2015 and 2016 much progress has been made to prevent and stop all types of bullying. Cyberbullying laws have been proposed or put into place in recent years in about half the states in the United States. Many of these laws have included internet bullying, Facebook bullying, and cell phone use, which has risen dramatically in recent years. Policies and laws throughout the United States are listed in detail on the website stopbullying.gov. Currently, most states have both laws and policies regarding bullying. Eleven states have laws only and not any specific policies.

Medical Daily has reported about the progress being made to prevent cyberbullying because of recent laws enacted. There are several positive results from these laws.

In 2013 the bullying rates in the United States dropped to 22 percent. They had remained steady at 28 percent for the last decade.
This progress was attributed to anti-bullying laws that had been enacted in 25 states.
There has been a decrease in primary bullying as well as cyberbullying cases.

While new laws and policies have been put into place regarding cyberbullying (country and state laws), there is still much work to do regarding bullying. It is critical that laws be understood and followed. Even more important is that children are educated at a young age regarding what is bullying, why it is so damaging, and steps to take to eliminate it. Children should not only be educated about bullying in general, but must learn to see cyberbullying signs as well as signs of regular bullying. Education and prevention are key to stopping all types of bullying.