A deliberate or intentional behavior using words or actions, intended to cause fear, intimidation, or harm. Bullying may be repeated behavior and involves an imbalance of power. The behavior may be motivated by an actual or perceived distinguishing characteristic, such as, but not limited to: age; national origin; race; ethnicity; religion; gender; gender identity; sexual  orientation; physical attributes; physical or mental ability or disability; and social, economic, or family status. https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/safe-schools/bullying-prevention

A national survey of the 2021-22 school year found that 28% of middle schools, 15% of high schools, and 10% of elementary schools reported the occurrence of bullying at school at least once a week (nces.gov, “Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools,” 2024).

The CDC warns that Some youth experience more bullying than others. Female students, for example, are found to be more likely than male students to experience bullying, both on school property and electronically (cdc.gov, “Bullying,” n.d). Stopbullying.gov backs this up by stating that the  average prevalence of bullying for female students is (21.8%), vs. (16.7%). of male students (stopbullying.gov, “Facts about Bullying” 2025). 

Stopbullying.gov provides a list of factors that can cause children to be at a higher risk for bullying.

• perceived as different from their peers, such as being overweight or underweight, wearing glasses or different clothing, being new to a school, or being unable to afford what kids consider “cool” (Socioeconomic status).
• Are perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves
• Are depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem
• Are less popular than others and have few friends
• Do not get along well with others, seen as annoying or provoking, or antagonize others for attention (stopbullying.gov, “Who is at Risk,” 2025).

*NOTE: This page warns that children can have these characteristics and not experience bullying. They also point out that there is no single “type” of child who bullies or is a victim of bullying. Both perpetrators and victims can be either well connected or struggling socially.  

Bullying involvement in youth is associated with increased risk for… anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and attempts, substance use, criminality, and involvement in other forms of interpersonal violence, such as child abuse and intimate partner violence which can include trafficking.  (Xu et. al, “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Bullying,” 2019).

A cross sectional found that among thirteen year olds across the United States 2.0% of the boys and 1.2% of the girls had engaged in sexting. The percentage increased to 9.2% and 12.7% for the 18 year old participants.  (Ybarra and Mitchell, “Sexting and its relation to sexual activity and sexual risk behavior,” 2014) 

A study by Van Ouytsel et. al., (2019) Full PDF download studied the intersection of bullying, cyberbullying, and sexting (defined as the sending or receiving of sexually explicit messages, images, or videos through the internet or mobile phone), between students, with a mean age of 15 years. 

 They found:

• Sexting increased with age
• Sexting can lead to cyberbullying (Threatening to expose photos) “Slut shaming.”
• Reverse is true. Cyberbullying, peer pressure, or abuse can lead to sexting, 
• Victims of cyberbullying often engage in other types of online risk behavior… sharing passwords with friends, sharing personal information online, or talking to strangers online. 

An article by “Human Trafficking Front” warns that adult predators online  use sexts from minors to extort them for more sexual material or favors, otherwise known as sextortion. (Sexual extortion, abbreviated as “sextortion,” is the coercion of people to deliver money or favors under the threat of releasing the victim’s sexual material). In the case of children, this coercion can be especially persuasive due to their desire to fit in, or their fear of being slut-shamed by their families and peers. Extreme sextortion cases can escalate to physical abuse and trafficking https://humantraffickingfront.org/child-sexting/

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From October 2021 to March 2023 (over a period of 1.5-2 years), the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors. The sextortion involved at least 12,600 victims—primarily boys between ages 14-17—and led to at least 20 suicides.  (fbi.gov, “Sextortion: A Growing Threat Targeting Minors,” 2024).

ICE, (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) notes that this is due to a rising trend in which adult predators pretending to be young girls feign romantic interest in the boys on gaming platforms, apps and social media sites, and then ask boys for sexual content. their predator (posing as a “friend”) then threatens to expose them by publicizing the photos — unless they pose for more explicit photos or send money. The emotional results for victims — especially kids — is devastating. Feeling embarrassed, hopeless and isolated, many of these teens have nowhere to turn. 

(ice.gov, “Sextortion, It’s More Common Than You Think,” 2025).

Human Trafficking Front reports that Financial Sextortion is up over 250% between 2022 and 2023. (https://humantraffickingfront.org/online-child-sextortion/)

If your child or someone you know is suffering from bullying within an education facility:

Call: 608-266-8960 or 1-800-441-4563 (Student Services/Prevention)

Email: dpisspw@dpi.wi.gov (Student Services/Prevention)

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction also has resources for parents of children who are experiencing bullying https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/safe-schools/bullying-prevention