Bullying is a public health issue, affecting nearly one-third of children who suffer from depression and anxiety from the treatment, according to a study released Tuesday from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
Experts say bullying connected with depression and anxiety can lead to alcohol and drug abuse through adulthood, reported
CNN. The report added that bullying can also lead to disruptive sleep, causing gastrointestinal issues and headaches.
"We need to understand that this is a public health problem faced by a third of our children," said Frederick Rivara, chairman of the committee creating the report. "It has a major effect on their academic performance as well as their mental and physical health."
The National Academies held a news conference Tuesday to roll out the report.
"The committee of experts was assembled to conduct a consensus study on the state of the science on the biological and psychosocial consequences of peer victimization, and risk and protective factors that either increase or decrease peer victimization behavior and consequences," said the
agency's website.
The
Seattle Times noted that bullying is defined as targeted, aggressive behavior from one child against another. The newspaper said 7 to 15 percent of students participating in the study said that they were bullied in cyberspace, which is more difficult for adults to monitor.
The study added that bullying among minorities, the disabled, overweight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender were all rated higher.
"… Kids have the right to go to school and get an education," Rivara, a pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Washington, told the Seattle Times. "If bullying interferes with that, it is interfering with one of their essential rights."
The study recommended that researchers should partner to collect data on an ongoing basis "on the efficacy and implementation of anti-bullying laws and policies." It also suggested that anti-bullying laws and policies should be strengthened.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.