Youth Prevention Coordinator discusses effects of bullying

October was National Bullying Prevention Month, a nationwide initiative founded in 2006 by the PACER Center to prevent childhood bullying and promote kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

Since the campaign began, the conversation around bullying has evolved. Nineteen years ago, bullying primarily took place in school hallways or on buses. Today, it often occurs through social media and text messages.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, among students ages 12 to 18 who reported being bullied during school, 21.6% said it happened online or by text.

“As an adult, we didn’t have phones with us, so we made mistakes, and those are buried in our memories,” Youth Prevention Coordinator, Rocio Rivas told WTIP. “Now, everybody has a phone, and if you make a mistake, there is a big chance that it will be recorded.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that bullying can have long-term effects, including physical injury, social and emotional distress, self-harm and even death. It also increases the risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement and dropping out of school.

Bullying affects everyone involved — the person being bullied, bystanders who witness it and the person who bullies others.

“A bully, most of the time, is somebody that is missing and lacking of something in their life, and that is the only way that they have to feel more powerful,” Rivas said.

Bullying occurs when repeated behavior harms someone emotionally or physically and stems from an imbalance of power. These acts can be subtle. One study analyzing responses from more than 14,000 students found that when youth are excluded from social activities by their peers, the outcomes can be just as harmful as being physically assaulted.

Small acts of social bullying can be difficult for parents to recognize, making it important for them to look for signs such as children avoiding school or experiencing unexplained episodes of sadness or anxiety.

But these signs aren’t always visible. “Sometimes, a kid can do very well at the school and [hide] a lot of their symptoms and still be suffering inside,” Rivas said.

The best way for parents to learn if their child is being bullied, she said, is to be open to difficult conversations — and to listen to things they might not want to hear.

“We don’t like adults telling us exactly what to do,” Rivas said. “But we like a guidance, so being that open and safe place where your kid can come and talk to you about him being bullied.”

Rivas also emphasized the importance of families and communities creating spaces of inclusion, empathy and kindness — and teaching children that positive behavior starts at home.

Resources such as stopbullying.gov suggest that strategies focusing on accountability and behavior change are more effective than punitive punishments or peer mediation.

WTIP spoke with Rivas about National Bullying Prevention Month. The full interview is available below.

Josh Hinke November 13, 2025