Bullying remains one of the most persistent and damaging threats to student well-being and academic success. While the association between bullying and poor academic outcomes has long been studied, recent research (2023–2025) and policy shifts sharpen our understanding of how and why bullying undermines learning—and what schools can do about it. Below is an updated review of the evidence, implications for stakeholders, and promising practices for mitigation.
Prevalence and Trends (2025 snapshot)
Before examining effects, it helps to contextualize how widespread bullying is today:
According to StopBullying.gov, about 19.2 % of students ages 12–18 (grades 6–12) reported being bullied during the 2021–22 school year. StopBullying.gov+1
In 2023, 26.5 % of U.S. teens (ages 13–17) said they had been cyberbullied, up from ~23.2 % in 2021.
New data from the International Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) show that among 4th graders who experienced bullying, 35 % scored below minimum proficiency, versus 25 % among non-bullied peers.
Moreover, recent surveys suggest an increase in bullying: some sources project a rise from ~25 % in 2023 to 35.5 % in 2025 (though methodological caution applies).
These statistics confirm that bullying—whether in person, relational (e.g. exclusion, rumor spreading), or digital—continues to affect millions of children and adolescents across settings.
Mechanisms: How Bullying Erodes Academic Performance
Bullying affects students' academic outcomes in multiple, often compounding, pathways. Below I describe four key mechanisms:
1. Attendance disruption and school disengagement
Students who are bullied are more likely to skip school, arrive late, or withdraw from class participation. StopBullying.gov cites that bullied youth tend to miss, skip, or drop out of school at higher rates. StopBullying.gov Chronic absenteeism leads to missed instructional time, gaps in knowledge, and difficulty keeping pace in cumulative subjects such as math or science.
2. Psychological distress, concentration loss, and cognitive load
Victims frequently experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, insomnia, and intrusive negative thoughts. StopBullying.gov+1 These emotional burdens consume cognitive resources that would otherwise support learning, reducing working memory capacity, focus, and executive functioning during lessons and assessments.
3. Lower engagement, participation, and motivation
When students feel unsafe or excluded, they are less likely to engage in classroom discussion, ask questions, collaborate on group work, or risk making mistakes. A longitudinal study cited by EdWeek notes that children who are bullied become less engaged in school, and their learning suffers over time. Over time, this reduced engagement reinforces academic lag.
4. Academic trajectory compounding (cumulative disadvantage)
Bullying does not act in a single year: its impacts accumulate. A longitudinal project funded by NCER examines how victimization in 3rd–5th grades correlates with scholastic, behavioral, and emotional outcomes beyond baseline performance. Over time, falling behind peers in early grades makes catching up tougher, increasing dropout risk.
Notably, TIMSS data also show that physically bullied students tend to have larger deficits in academic proficiency than those experiencing emotional bullying, and gaps tend to be wider in science versus math. Center For Global Development
In sum: attendance loss, emotional strain, and disengagement often interact and accumulate to erode GPA, test scores, credit accrual, and graduation rates.
Quantifying the Impact: Evidence from Studies
In addition to the mechanisms, empirical research quantifies the magnitude of bullying’s effect:
A meta-analysis included in systematic reviews of anti-bullying policy shows consistent associations between bullying exposure and lower academic performance, though effect sizes vary across studies. PMC
An APA press release describes a longitudinal cohort in which ~24 % of children experienced chronic bullying and showed significantly lower test scores and achievement trajectories. American Psychological Association
The TIMSS analysis cited above reveals that 35 % of bullied 4th graders scored below minimum proficiency. Center For Global Development
Research on individuals with disabilities shows that childhood bullying correlates with lower academic satisfaction in adulthood—and that satisfaction mediates relationships between bullying and mental health outcomes.
While effect sizes vary by context, grade, and bullying type, the consistency of negative associations across populations indicates we should treat bullying as a nontrivial barrier to learning.
Real-World Example: A Boarding School Case Study
Consider Rivermoor Academy, a hypothetical boarding school that tracked bullying incident reports and academic results over five years (2019–2024). In that period:
The school’s Office of Student Life documented an average of 28 bullying cases per year (peer conflict, exclusion, or online harassment);
Simultaneously, the average GPA among students who filed bullying complaints was 0.35 points lower than the year cohort average;
Furthermore, among repeat victims (3+ reports over different years), the cohort’s college matriculation rate fell to 68% (versus 85% school average)
After adopting a comprehensive anti-bullying program (training, peer-mentors, reporting systems) in 2022, the school observed a 22 % decline in reported bullying and a narrowing of GPA differences (from –0.35 to –0.18).
Though fictional, this scenario reflects patterns documented in schools that apply evidence-based interventions and then observe reduced academic gaps.
Differential Impacts and Vulnerable Populations
Bullying does not affect every student equally. Certain groups are at greater risk of both victimization and steeper academic impact:
Students with disabilities: They are more often targeted and experience worse emotional and academic consequences.
Girls and LGBTQ+ students: Girls report higher rates of relational and cyberbullying; LGBTQ+ youth have elevated exposure to harassment. StopBullying.gov+1
Middle school students: Bullying prevalence tends to peak in middle grades (e.g., 26.3 % in grades 6–8 versus 15.7 % in high school). StopBullying.gov
Historically marginalized or minority students: They may face bullying tied to identity or stereotype threats, and the added stress can magnify academic harm.
For these groups, the emotional and identity-based dimensions of bullying deepen the academic fallout. Schools should consider equitable supports and culturally responsive approaches.
Policy and Practice Advances in 2025
Recognizing the stakes, many districts and schools have adopted updated policies and practices in 2024–25:
Expanded anti-bullying definitions
School boards are clarifying their reach: many now stipulate that off-campus cyberbullying is actionable if it substantially disrupts the educational environment. For example, a school district in Bluffs expanded definitions and mandated reporting within a 10-day window.Federal guidance and civil rights protection
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights emphasizes that schools must address harassment and bullying, especially when based on protected classes (disability, race, sex).Evidence-based, schoolwide programs
Whole-school approaches (e.g., Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Social-Emotional Learning, peer mentoring) increasingly include bullying prevention modules. Some schools report reductions of 30–45% in bullying after implementing such programs.Use of AI and monitoring systems (with caveats)
Some districts deploy surveillance software or machine learning systems that flag concerning language on school networks. While early intervention is promising, privacy risks, equity, and false positives remain concerns. AP NewsTeacher and staff training, climate surveys, and restorative practices
More schools train all adults to respond to bullying consistently, collect periodic anonymous climate data, and adopt restorative interventions (peer mediation, circle discussions) in lieu of punitive discipline.
These advances, when implemented with fidelity, help create safer, more supportive environments that reduce the academic drag of bullying.
Recommendations for Stakeholders
Below are evidence-informed suggestions for educators, parents, and students:
Schools and administrators
Adopt and enforce comprehensive anti-bullying policies aligned with Department of Education standards.
Use multi-tiered bullying prevention programs that integrate SEL, peer support, restorative justice, and staff training.
Monitor bullying climate via annual anonymous surveys.
Ensure accessible reporting systems (anonymous where needed) and prompt, transparent follow-up.
Provide targeted support (counseling, academic tutoring) to victims.
Educators and staff
Recognize signs of bullying (withdrawal, poor attendance, declining performance) and intervene early.
Cultivate classroom norms of respect, bystander intervention, and inclusive culture.
Use flexible instructional strategies (office hours, check-ins) for students struggling emotionally.
Parents and guardians
Maintain open dialogue with children about peer dynamics and technology use.
Encourage reporting and help children document digital harassment.
Partner with schools to advocate for robust anti-bullying systems and support.
Students
Support peers who are targets and seek to intervene safely or ask adults for help.
If you’re bullied, document incidents (screenshots, dates) and report to trusted adults.
Engage in positive peer leadership, clubs, or mentoring programs that promote inclusion.
Conclusion
Bullying is not a benign rite of passage. As the evidence and recent data show, it exacts a steep toll on attendance, mental health, engagement, and ultimately academic performance—especially when experienced repetitively. In 2025, schools have promising tools at their disposal: strengthened policies, whole-school prevention programs, AI-assisted detection (used judiciously), and restorative practices. But these work only when backed by consistent commitment, resources, and a school culture that refuses to tolerate harassment.
For schools contemplating boarding or day-school models, the BoardingSchoolReview platform offers profiles of institutions that emphasize student wellness, pro-social culture, and responsive bullying policies. (See more on student life and safety in boarding environments at BoardingSchoolReview.com.)
When parents, students, and educators unite behind evidence-based prevention and responsive intervention, bullying’s drag on learning can diminish—and students’ academic trajectories can recover and thrive.
