Gender Differences in Bullying at School

A new report from the U.S. Department of Education finds that more than 20 percent of all school students ages 12 to 18 in the United States were bullied at school during the 2014-15 school year. Thus, more than 5 million children were bullied at school at some point during the school year.

When we break down the figures by gender, we find some significant differences between boys and girls. Overall, 22.8 percent of girls ages 12 to 18 were bullied at school during the school year, compared to 18.8 percent of boys. Girls were less likely than boys to be bullied in school locker rooms or on a school bus. But girls were more likely to be bullied outside on school grounds and were nearly three times as likely to be subjected to online or text message bullying while at school.

Boys were more likely than girls to be bullied frequently. Girls were more likely than boys to report the bullying to an adult. Girls were more likely than boys to be bullied by the spreading of false rumors, by being excluded from activities, and being insulted or called names. Boys were more likely than girls to be bullied by acts or threats of violence.

The full report, Student Reports of Bullying: Results From the 2015 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, may be downloaded by clicking here.