Bullying, a persistent problem for professional counselors who work with young clients both inside and outside of school, remains widespread among American youth. Researchers have found that more than one in five American teenagers experience peer bullying victimization – and the prevalence is higher among children under 12 years of age.
According to the National Child Health Survey, parents of 22.4% of children ages 6 to 11 and 21% of youth ages 12 to 17 report that their child is "from other children bullied, picked up or excluded. ”
The data gathered from the 2016-2017 National Survey was published in the Public Health Reports journal last month by researchers from the United States Health Resources and Services Administration.
The researchers also analyzed the data in the journal article from state to state. The prevalence of bullying varied widely, from 16.5% of children in New York to 35.9% in Wyoming. In adolescents it ranged from 14.9% in Nevada to 31.6% in Montana.
Bullying among children or adolescents was greater than 30% in seven states: Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Read the full report in Public Health Reports: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0033354920912713
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Related reading from Counseling Today:
"Five social, emotional and mental health supports that young people must be successful"
"Management of an anti-bullying intervention for students with disabilities"
"When bias becomes bullying"
"Bullying: How Consultants Can Intervene"
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ACA resources:
Journal of Counseling & Development Article:
ACA exercise materials
Prevention of youth bullying
Bullying intervention
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