Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It’s important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern. Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical health, school, and mental health issues. Marci Hertz is at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Prevention Practice and Translation Branch of the Division of Violence Prevention. Marci oversees CDC’s efforts related to youth violence prevention, including the STRYVE initiative (Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere).

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The Effects of Being Bullied 

“They’re more likely than other kids to complain of things like headaches, and stomach aches, and have sleep problems.” 

Marci Hertz is a health scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“They’re also more likely to have decreased academic achievement, when compared with other kids who aren’t bullied, in terms of their grade point average, and standardized test scores.” 

They’re also at increased risk of being depressed or anxious. 

“And they’re also more likely than kids who are not bullied to miss school or to drop out of school.” 

You can learn how to take action against bullying and prevent it from happening at stopbullying.gov.

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