Does Being Bullied Increase Risk of Suicide Attempts for High School Kids?

Summary: Yes, data show that being bullied can increase risk of suicide attempts for high school kids.

Key Points:

• The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults 10-34.
• Evidence shows that in 2023 a total of 5,936 people age 15-24 died by suicide.
• Suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts vary by age, gender assigned at birth, race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender identity
• New research shows being bullied is associated with all types of suicidality: ideation, plans, and attempts

Bullying: An Old Problem for a New Generation

Most of us know what bullying is, and if we can’t offer a good definition of bullying on demand, most of us likely agree we can apply what a Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said about obscenity in 1965 to bullying in 2025:

I know it when I see it.

While we may all be able to identify bullying when we see it – and hopefully have the wherewithal to step in when we do – the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offer this official definition to eliminate any confusion about what bullying is or isn’t:

“Any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners. It involves an observed or perceived power imbalance, and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the victim including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.”

It’s important to understand that this old problem – in the digital age – has taken on new forms. Types of bullying include:

• Physical bullying: pushing, punching, kicking, spitting
• Verbal bullying: insults, threats, teasing
• Social/relational bullying: spreading rumors, social exclusion
• Vandalism-related bullying: causing damage to personal property at school or in community
• Cyberbullying: any bullying that occurs via text, computer, or social media

In this article, we’ll discuss the impact of bullying on suicide attempts among high school kids, using data from a new publication called “Bullying and Suicide Attempts Among US High School Students,” and learn whether being bullied increase risk of suicide attempts for high school students.

The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2023 YRBS)

The YRBS is a survey conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that tracks important health and behavioral data on middle- and high school students in the U.S. Here’s how the research team that publishes the survey describe it:

“The YRBS provides the most recent surveillance data…on health behaviors and experiences of high school students in the U.S. The report focuses on sexual behavior, substance use, experiences of violence, mental health, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It also includes data on topics such as social media use and reported experiences of racism in school.”

To compile and report the data in 2023, researchers collected data from 20,103 respondents, a sample set which allows us to make population-level conclusions and generalizations about what’s really happening with middle- and high school students in the real world.

Before we report the data on bullying from the study we introduce above, which also used YRBS data, we’ll share the latest facts and figures on suicide among high school students in the U.S

Suicidality and High School Students: Facts and Figures

First, the facts on suicidal ideation:

Seriously Considered Suicide, Past Year

• By Sex:
  • Total: 22%
  • Male: 14%
  • Female: 30%
• By race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 27%
  • Multiracial: 24%
  • White: 23%
  • Black: 22%
  • Hispanic: 22%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 21%
  • Asian: 18%
• By Sexual identity:
  • LGBQ: 45%
  • Heterosexual: 15%

Next, the data on suicide plans:

Made a Suicide Plan, Past Year

• By Sex:
  • Total: 18%
  • Female: 24%
  • Male: 12%
• By Race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 22%
  • Multiracial: 20%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 20%
  • Hispanic: 19%
  • Black: 18%
  • Asian: 17%
  • White: 17%
• By Sexual identity:
  • LGBQ: 37%
  • Heterosexual: 12%

Finally, the data on suicide attempts:

Attempted Suicide, Past Year

• By Sex:
  • Total: 10%
  • Female: 13%
  • Male: 7%
• By race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 16%
  • Black: 14%
  • Multiracial: 12%
  • Hispanic: 11%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 10%
  • White: 9%
  • Asian: 6%
• By Sexual identity:
  • LGBQ: 22%
  • Heterosexual: 6%

As the data show, rates of suicidality are significantly higher for females compared to males, for people from racial and ethnic minorities compared to majorities, and for people from sexual and gender minorities compared to majorities.

Now let’s look at the results of the new study, which assesses the relationship of bullying and suicide attempts, and quantify whether being bullied can increase risk of suicide attempts for high school kids.

First, the data on the experience of bullying during high school:

Experienced Bullying at School, High School Students

Total: 19.2%

Age Group:

• 12-14: 23.5%
• 15-16: 20.9%
• 17+ (in high school): 15.5%

By Sex Assigned at Birth:

• Female: 21.8%
• Male: 16.6%

Race/Ethnicity:

• White: 23.2%
• Multiracial: 21.5%
• Hispanic: 15.8%
• Black: 14.2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native/Asian/Pacific Islander: 11.5%

By Sexual Identity:

• LGBQ: 28.7%
• Heterosexual: 15.7%

Gender Identity:

• Transgender: 42.6%
• Not transgender: 17.3%
• Unsure: 38.8%

Attempted Suicide, Among Students Bullied:

• Yes: 43.9%
• No: 16.1%

The data show that rates of bullying align, in most categories, with data on suicidality women and people from minority groups report higher rates of bullying, with one exception: white students report being bullied at higher rates than other racial/ethnic groups.

Now, for the dataset that’s most relevant to our discussion: the impact of being bullied on risk of suicide attempts.

Bullying Impact on Suicide Risk: Facts and Figures

Here’s the data, expressed as an odds ratio (OR), an indicator of relative/comparative level of increased risk:

Risk of Suicide by Bullied/Not-Bullied Status

• Bullied: OR of 3.58
  • Female: OR of 5.65
  • Male: OR of 3.25

An OR of 3.58 corresponds with a 258% increased risk of attempting suicide. That means that anyone who experiences bullying has a significantly increased risk of attempting suicide. The OR for female high school students corresponds with a 465% increased risk of attempting suicide, while the OR for males corresponds with a 225% increased risk of attempting suicide.

Here’s how the study authors characterize these findings:

“In this representative sample of US high school students, we found further evidence that bullying was associated with increased likelihood of suicide attempt and identified that female students may be disproportionately affected by bullying.”

This is an important study that can help us understand and mitigate suicide risk among our high school aged patients: when we know the facts, we can apply them and help the most vulnerable members of our society. With regards to bullying, our most vulnerable are minority groups and females, and with regard to suicide, our most vulnerable patients are high school students who experience bullying, with females at the greatest risk.

If you or someone you know experiences bullying and needs professional support managing the psychological and emotional consequences, please call us here at Crownview Medical Group: we can help.