DATA 

POINT 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

NCES 2016-004 JULY 2016

Data in this report are from the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization 

Survey, a nationally representative sample survey of students ages 12 through 18. To learn more 

about the survey, visit: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crime. For questions about content or to view 

Trends in Bullying at 

School Among Students 

Ages 12 to 18

Data from the School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, a nationally representative 

sample survey of students ages 12 through 18, were used to examine trends in bullying at school. The SCS study is 

completed every other year. Data from five consecutive surveys are included in this report: school years 2004–05, 

2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11, and 2012–13. Analysis is restricted to the SCS respondents in each year who were enrolled 

in grades 6 through 12, and did not receive any part of their education through homeschooling during the school year. The 

SCS asks students whether they were bullied in the school building, on school property, on the school bus, or going to or 

from school. Specifically, students are asked to report being made fun of, called names, or insulted; being the subject of 

rumors; being threatened with harm; being pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on; being pressured into doing things they did 

not want to do; being excluded from activities on purpose; and having property destroyed on purpose. 

The percentage of students ages 12 through 18 who reported being bullied at school was lower in 2013 than 

every year since 2005. In 2005, 28 percent of students ages 12 through 18 reported being bullied at school. In 

2013, the percentage was 22 percent.

FIGURE 1. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied at school, by year: 

Selected school years 2004–05 through 2012–13

NOTE: Beginning in 2007, the time frame that students were asked to consider in answering the survey questions was the school year, 

whereas in prior survey years the time frame was the previous 6 months. Qualitative testing showed that estimates from 2007 onward are 

comparable to previous years. “Bullied” includes students being made fun of, called names, or insulted; being the subject of rumors; being 

threatened with harm; being pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on; being pressured into doing things they did not want to do; being excluded 

from activities on purpose; and having property destroyed on purpose. “At school” includes the school building, school property, school bus, or 

going to and from school. Tabular data for percentages are available in table 11.5 at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015072.pdf. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, School Crime Supplement to the National Crime 

Victimization Survey, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013. 

Data in this report are from the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization 

Survey, a nationally representative sample survey of students ages 12 through 18. To learn more 

about the survey, visit: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crime. For questions about content or to view 

this report online, go to: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2016004. 
Trends in Bullying at School Among Students Ages 12 to 18 

FIGURE 2. Percentage of male and female students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied at 

school, by year: Selected school years 2004–05 through 2012–13

NOTE: Beginning in 2007, the time frame that students were asked to consider in answering the survey questions was the school year, 

whereas in prior survey years the time frame was the previous 6 months. Qualitative testing showed that estimates from 2007 onward are 

comparable to previous years. “Bullied” includes students being made fun of, called names, or insulted; being the subject of rumors; being 

threatened with harm; being pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on; being pressured into doing things they did not want to do; being excluded from 

activities on purpose; and having property destroyed on purpose. “At school” includes the school building, school property, school bus, or going 

to and from school. Tabular data for percentages are available in table 11.5 at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015072.pdf. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, School Crime Supplement to the National Crime 

Victimization Survey, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013. 

The changes in the percentage of students ages 12 through 18 who reported being bullied at school followed 

a similar pattern among males and females from 2005 to 2013. 

 There were significant increases in the percentages 

of students who reported being bullied at school from 

2005 to 2007 among both males and females. 

 For both males and females, the proportion of 

students who reported that they had been bullied at 

school was lower in 2013 than in each of the other 

years reported.

 The proportion of males reporting they had been 

bullied at school was significantly lower than the 

proportion of females in 2007, 2011, and 2013.

This NCES Data Point presents information on education topics of current interest. 

It was authored by Melissa Cidade and Deborah Lessne of Synergy Enterprises, Inc. 

All estimates shown are based on samples and are subject to sampling variability. 

All differences discussed in this report are statistically significant at the .05 level. 

In the design, conduct, and data processing of National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) surveys, efforts are made to minimize the effects of nonsampling 

errors, such as item nonresponse, measurement error, data processing error, or 

other systematic error.