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A: Why do I or others bully There are all kinds of reasons why young people bully others, either occasionally or often. Do any of these sound familiar to you? * Because I see others doing it * Because it's what you do if you want to hang out with the right crowd * Because it makes me feel, stronger, smarter, or better than the person I'm bullying * Because it's one of the best ways to keep others from bullying me Whatever the reason, bullying is something we all need to think about. Whether we've done it ourselves ... or whether friends or other people we know are doing it ... we all need to recognize that bullying has a terrible effect on the lives of young people. It may not be happening to you today, but it could tomorrow. Working together, we can make the lives of young people better. Effects of bullying If you've ever heard an adult - or anyone else - say that bullying is "just a fact of life" or "no big deal," you're not alone! Too often, people just don't take bullying seriously - or until the sad and sometimes scary stories are revealed. * It happens a lot more than some people think - Studies show that between 15-25% of U.S. students are bullied with some frequency, while 15-20% report they bully others with some frequency (Melton et al, 1988; Nansel et al, 2001). * It can mess up a kid's future. Young people who bully are more likely than those who don't bully to skip school and drop out of school. They are also more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and get into fights (Nansel et al, 2003; Olweus, 1993). * It scares some people so much that they skip school. As many as 160,000 students may stay home on any given day because they're afraid of being bullied (Pollack, 1998). * It can lead to huge problems later in life. Children who bully are more likely to get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school. And 60% of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24 (Olweus, 1993). http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp?area=main http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/bullies.html http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/teens/bullying.asp http://www.stopbullyingnow.com/ http://www.bullying.org/public/frameset.cfm http://www.kidpower.org/School-age.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying