Wherever adolescents gather—in school, sports, or other settings—bullying is common.
Bullying once was thought of as “just part of growing up.” It is now seen, rightfully, as harmful
misconduct that can have long-lasting negative impacts on everyone involved.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport’s new “Prevent Bullying in Sport” webpage includes our “Bullying
101” toolkit, downloadable flyers, and more resources for parents, coaches, and others who
work with young people.
What is Bullying?
We may think we have an idea of what bullying is: the one-time shove in the hallway or “all-in-
good-fun” teasing at practice. It’s more than that.
“Bullying is hurt or harm that is unwanted and usually repeated,” says Judy French, coordinator
of the National Bullying Prevention Center. “The target of this hurt or harm usually can’t stop it
because they don’t have the same amount of (social or physical) power as the person or group
doing the bullying.”
- Here’s what bullying can look like:
Repeatedly and intentionally ignoring and socially excluding someone - Spreading emotionally damaging rumors about someone online
- Threatening violence or physically intimidating someone until they quit the team
- Consistently hitting someone and then ridiculing them in front of their teammates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers bullying a form of youth violence and
an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE).
A Widespread Issue
According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied at school in the
last year. That number nearly doubles for LGBTQ+ students. One in 6 students have been
cyberbullied.
Youth who experience bullying are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties,
lower academic achievement, and other harmful effects.
Youth who bully have higher incidences of substance abuse, academic problems, and
experiences of violence later in life. Those who witness bullying behavior as a bystander also
can have negative outcomes.
What to Look For
Because bullying usually involves a social or physical power difference, it’s difficult to stop
without adult or peer intervention. And kids may not own up to being bullied due to feelings of
shame. Parents and other adults can look for red flags and engage when a child:
- Shows signs of depression
- Stops wanting to do things they enjoy
- Experiences a sudden drop in grades
- Loses their desire to go to school
How to Respond
Bullying is preventable. Adults who work in youth sport settings can establish a positive
environment, practice bystander intervention, and lay out clear behavioral expectations. Here’s
how to respond if you witness bullying:
- If an incident is in progress, separate everyone involved and make sure they are safe.
- Remain calm and do not raise your voice in anger.
- Talk with the initiator, target, and witnesses separately.
- Follow your organization’s policies to report what happened.
- Make separate follow-up plans with everyone involved.
- Revisit behavior expectations and your organization’s Bullying Behavior policy with the
team, but do not talk about any specific incident.
Youth sports should be fun and rewarding. Visit the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s new Bullying
prevention webpage, and uscenterforsafesport.org for more information and resources.
For more articles from the U.S. Center for Safesports, CLICK HERE. Or for HERE for more articles on bullying.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport is a nonprofit organization created to respond to and prevent sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, from which it is independent. The Center also trains and educates people and organizations at all levels to support sport and recreation settings across America that protect athlete well-being.
