• T R Nansel, M Overpeck, R S Pilla, W J Ruan, B Simons-Morton, and P Scheidt.
• Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6100 Executive Blvd, Room 7B05, MSC 7510, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510, USA. nanselt@mail.nih.gov
• JAMA. 2001 Apr 25; 285 (16): 209421002094-100.

ContextAlthough violence among US youth is a current major concern, bullying is infrequently addressed and no national data on the prevalence of bullying are available.ObjectivesTo measure the prevalence of bullying behaviors among US youth and to determine the association of bullying and being bullied with indicators of psychosocial adjustment, including problem behavior, school adjustment, social/emotional adjustment, and parenting.Design, Setting, And ParticipantsAnalysis of data from a representative sample of 15 686 students in grades 6 through 10 in public and private schools throughout the United States who completed the World Health Organization's Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey during the spring of 1998.Main Outcome MeasureSelf-report of involvement in bullying and being bullied by others.ResultsA total of 29.9% of the sample reported moderate or frequent involvement in bullying, as a bully (13.0%), one who was bullied (10.6%), or both (6.3%). Males were more likely than females to be both perpetrators and targets of bullying. The frequency of bullying was higher among 6th- through 8th-grade students than among 9th- and 10th-grade students. Perpetrating and experiencing bullying were associated with poorer psychosocial adjustment (P<.001); however, different patterns of association occurred among bullies, those bullied, and those who both bullied others and were bullied themselves.ConclusionsThe prevalence of bullying among US youth is substantial. Given the concurrent behavioral and emotional difficulties associated with bullying, as well as the potential long-term negative outcomes for these youth, the issue of bullying merits serious attention, both for future research and preventive intervention.

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