8 must-know facts about bullying

Before sending your kids back to school make sure you're armed with everything you need to know about bullying.

1. Bullying increases during transition phases.
Most research points to middle school as "peak years" for bullying, but it can start as early as preschool. Bullying is common during transition times, like graduating from elementary to middle school times when kids are actively figuring out where they fit in.

2. Bullies can be victims too.
Researchers in London found that bullies are more likely than their classmates to suffer from low self-esteem, depression, and behavioral problems. And they're more likely to suffer from mental health problems later in life too.

SEE ALSO: Back to school: Bullying by the numbers

3. Kids don't tell on bullies.
According to dosomething.org only 1 in 10 victims will inform an adult of their abuse.
Experts say there are many reasons why children choose to keep the abuse a secret like: feeling embarrassed, ashamed, or fear of retaliation.

4. Serial bullies are responsible for most of the bullying.
The idea that bullying is a one-on-one issue is usually false. Behavioral psychologists agree It's typically a pretty small handful of kids who are continually perpetrating bullying behavior. So-called "serial bullies" accounted for nearly 70% of victim reports.

5. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying.
Some research shows that boys engage in more physical bullying than girls, and that girls engage in more verbal, relational and cyberbullying than boys.

6. Bullying victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide.
According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts.

7. 9 out of 10 LGBTQ Teens have experienced harassment at school or online.
One study found students were constantly verbally abused through name-calling like "homo", "fag" or "sissy" more than two dozen times per day. That's one derogatory comment every fifteen minutes of every single day. (nobullying.com / 1998 Mental Health America)

8. There are warning signs parents can watch out for.
Watch for behavioral changes like aggression, symptoms of withdrawal and lower grades than usual - they're all warning signs that a child might be dealing with a bully.

It's up to us as adults to teach tolerance and end bullying -- educating yourself on the facts is the first step.

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