March 28, 2011 by James Burns

If anyone believes that bullying doesn’t take it’s toll on families, schools, and society take a look at the statistics below. Read through to the end and notice the cost for companies in dealing with this problem on the job. Who is paying for all of this? School districts now how to budget for bullying programs. That’s tax dollars that get spent just trying to make sure that people are treated with respect. Something we all should do freely, without the imposition of consequences.

1. 60% of middle school students say that they have been bullied, while 16% of staff believe that students are bullied.

1. 160,000 students stay home from school everyday due to bullying. (NEA)

1. 30% of students who reported they had been bullied said they had at times brought weapons to school.

1. A bully is 6 times more likely to be incarcerated by the age of 24.

1. A bully is 5 times more likely to have a serious criminal record when he grows up.

1. 2/3 of students who are targets become bullies.

1. 20% of all children say they have been bullied.

1. 20% of high school students say they have seriously considered suicide with the last 12 months.

1. 25% of students say that teachers intervened in bullying incidents while 71% of teachers say they intervened.

1. The average child has watched 8,000 televised murders and 100,000 acts of violence before finishing elementary school.

1. In schools where there are bullying programs bullying is reduced by 50%.

12. Bullying was a factor in 2/3 of the 37 school shootings reviewed by the US Secret Service.

13. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety Health (NIOSH) (Sauter, et al.,1990), there is a loss of employment amounting to $19 billion and a drop in productivity of $3 billion due to workplace bullying.

14. Law enforcement costs related to bullying are enormous.  Since 1999, the Office on Violence against Women (OVW) has spent $98 million in assistance to address campus sexual violence.