Peer Bullies and Mental Health: A School Case Study

Bullying among teens, often called peer victimization, is a serious issue that can affect their mental health and social life. Researchers wanted to know how being bullied at one point in time might connect to mental health issues and friendships a few months later. They studied 1299 teens from 67 classes, asking them about these things twice in the same school year. The results showed that teens who felt bad about themselves in the fall were more likely to be bullied in the spring. Also, kids who were happy with their friends were less likely to be bullied later. Surprisingly, being bullied earlier could also lead to feeling bad later. Classes where kids were less happy with their friends had more bullying. And, classes with more diverse kids also had different levels of friend happiness. This study shows the need for schools to help kids build good friendships and support those who are bullied. It also highlights the importance of friendships in protecting against bullying.