Changes in Bullying Victimization Among High School Students in the United States, 2009–2023: Role of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: This study evaluates changes in bullying before (2009–2019) and after the onset of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (2021–2023) in grades 9–12. Methods: A repeated cross-sectional study analyzed data (2009–2023) from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted to estimate changes in the level of and the trend of bullying. Results: School bullying (n = 123,952) decreased by 5.14 percentage-points following the pandemic, most pronounced among females (−8.76 percentage-points) and non-Hispanic Whites (−6.82 percentage-points). However, school bullying resurged as the pandemic subsided. While online bullying (n = 107,853) had no notable change during the mid-pandemic period, a stratified analysis revealed a 4.55 percentage-point increase among males and a 3.72 percentage-point decrease among females. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: Bullying prevention efforts should move beyond individual-level interventions to address the structural features of school environments. The variations in trends across student populations suggest that targeted strategies that account for subgroup-specific vulnerabilities may be beneficial. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with short-term reductions in the level of bullying on school property. Future studies are warranted to further our understanding of the specific reasons for these changes, particularly regarding attitudes and behaviors.