About 22% of students ages 12-18 reported being bullied at school in 2019, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The most common types are physical, verbal and social bullying and it can result in physical injury, social and emotional distress, self-harm and even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bullying also increases the risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic performance and might prompt students to drop out of school.
And it isn’t just done in-person. Cyberbullying can be just as harmful, and among kids in public school, it happens most often among middle school students, followed by high school students.
As part of its commitment to normalizing discussions on mental health and removing the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, South Texas Health System Behavioral will discuss bullying in its next “Let’s Talk Mental Health” webinar. The special online seminar will focus on ways to prevent bullying and how to help those experiencing bullying.