Resource Library

Research Report

The Anti-Bullying Report: Lessons from Students and Principals on Belonging, Respect, and Safer Schools.

Overview

Bullying is a persistent problem in U.S. schools, fueling distrust and debates over punishment, transfers, and prevention. Some states are trying extreme measures—ticketing parents or suspending bullies’ licenses—while Congress considers the STOP Bullying Act to fund state prevention efforts. Most districts review policies, but few have comprehensive plans, leaving gaps that students feel firsthand. Real change requires educators, policymakers, and parents to listen to students, focus on the most vulnerable, and build school cultures where safety and belonging aren’t optional.

Elementary School Edition

Download the Elementary School Anti-Bullying Report
  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    Finding 1: Belonging and Academic Challenge Shield Students from Bullying

    Elementary Students who feel like they belong and are academically challenged are significantly less likely to report being bullied; yet only 34 percent of elementary students consistently feel like an important part of their school.

  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    Finding 2: Identity-Based Bullying: A Common Elementary Reality

    Appearance, learning style, and how students express their identity are the most common reasons elementary students report being bullied. For many students of color, bias related to race and background adds another layer of vulnerability.

  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    Finding 3: Help-Seeking Gap: Home vs. School

    Elementary students are more likely to turn to adults at home than at school when they have been bullied, revealing a help-seeking gap between home and school. That gap is even wider for some students of color.

Sample finding from the report

  • Why Elementary Students Report Being Bullied

    • How I Look
      51%
    • I learn differently than other students
      41%
    • I physically can’t do what other kids can do
      39%
    • I am different than most girls
      36%
    • I am different than most boys
      31%
    • How much money my family has
      22%
    • Where my family is from
      22%
    • My race or skin color
      22%
    • My religion
      18%

Middle School Edition

Download the Middle School Anti-Bullying Report
  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    As Belonging Declines, Bullying Persists in Middle School

    Between sixth and eighth grade, students’ sense of belonging drops by 11 percentage points (from 52 to 41 percent) while bullying stubbornly holds steady, affecting about one in four students throughout middle school.

  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    Appearance and Identity: Top Reasons for Bullying in Middle School

    How students look is the most common reason they are bullied. Over three-quarters (76 percent) of bullied middle schoolers say they were targeted for their appearance. Many are also bullied based on race, gender expression, presumed sexuality, or disability.

  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    When Adults Show Respect, Bullying Drops

    When middle school students consistently see adults at school treating people from different backgrounds with respect, reported bullying rates drop—but Black and non-binary students are significantly less likely than their peers to report witnessing such modeling.

Sample finding from the report:

The Belonging Slide

  • Statistically significant
  • Statistically significant

  • I really feel like a part of my school’s community

    • All Students
      45%
    • Sixth Graders
      52%
    • Seventh Graders
      43%
    • Eighth Graders
      41%

High School Edition

Download the High School Anti-Bullying Report
  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    Belonging Protects Against Bullying, but No High School Group Tops 50 Percent

    Belonging cuts a high school student’s risk of being bullied by nine percentage points, yet fewer than half of students in any student group — by race, gender identity, or other background — report feeling part of their school community.

  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    Bullying Doubles Risk of Dropout Concern Among High Schoolers

    High school students who are bullied are nearly twice as likely to say they have seriously considered dropping out. Fourteen percent of students overall report dropout worry, compared to 27 percent of those who are bullied.

  • A hand drawn magnifying glass over a sheet of paper in dark blue.

    Adult Respect Reduces Bullying, But It is Unevenly Felt

    When high school students consistently see adults treat people from different backgrounds with respect, reported bullying rates drop — yet perceptions of that respect vary significantly by race and gender.

Sample finding from the report:

The Belonging Slide

  • Statistically significant

  • I really feel like a part of my school’s community

    • All Students
      42%
    • Ninth Graders
      44%
    • Tenth Graders
      41%
    • Eleventh Graders
      40%
    • Twelfth
      42%