bullying

Latest on School Bullying in Tompkins County

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Tompkins County children are getting bullied at school, outside of school, and online. But the most recent survey of students, in 2025, showed a slight decrease in online bullying although bullying at school and outside school remained relatively constant.

More than a quarter of Tompkins County students grades 6-12 say they were bullied at school

However, the survey results show Tompkins County with a significantly higher prevalence of bullying compared to the national average.

According to the 2025 Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) survey of 3,952 students, 18.2 percent reported being bullied electronically compared to 20.4 percent in 2023.

More than a quarter of students in grades 6-12 said they were bullied at school, with the greatest prevalence occurring in middle school grades.

Overall, 27.9 percent of Tompkins students in the survey said they were bullied at school; 20.2 percent were bullied outside school; and 18.2 percent were bullied electronically.

Eighth graders reported the highest percentages, with 34.1 percent, 24.1 percent, and 19.6 percent saying they were bullied in those categories, respectively.

The 2025 results saw data similar to the 2023 results for bullying at school and outside school, when the figures were 27.7 percent and 20.8 percent, respectively.

In the national 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 19.7 percent of U.S. high school students reported being bullied at school and 14.6 percent bullied online. Those figures were lower than the high school figures in Tompkins County except for seniors bullied at school.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a good time to check out The Sophie Fund’s “Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families.” This is a new updated guide for the 2026-2027 school year with information about how bullying affects individuals and communities and what we can do to prevent it.

For schools, the guide contains resources for curricula, discussion plans, activity kits, infographics, videos, art projects, coloring books, role playing, pledge signing, clubs, Bullying Prevention Month activities, and special websites for teens and kids.

The Sophie Fund distributed the guide to all school leaders as well as Parent-Teacher Organizations/Associations in Tompkins County.

“The guide presents a brief overview of bullying and its impacts as well as national and local data illustrating the extent of the problem,” said Scott MacLeod, co-founder of The Sophie Fund.

“But the focus of the guide is on providing schools with resources with which to proactively prevent bullying. It lists resources that schools can use to organize bullying prevention activities year-round and especially for National Bullying Prevention Month in October.”

For parents and their children, the guide provides detailed information about how to file a complaint to school officials about bullying, harassment, or discrimination under the New York State Dignity for All Students Act (DASA).

The Dignity Act is set up so that everyone has a role in supporting a child when bullying occurs. Parents and family members should know that they are not alone, if they ever find themselves in this situation, and that the best thing they can do for their child is to work in partnership with their school Dignity Act Coordinator to address the issue and to improve their child’s experience.

DOWNLOAD Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. The Sophie Fund encourages schools and youth-serving organizations to use the occasion to provide educational programming and activities designed to reduce (and hopefully eliminate) bullying behaviors.

DOWNLOAD Tompkins County Schools Dignity Act Coordinators

Bullying can have negative and even life-long impacts on both victims and aggressors. Bullying can have a negative long-term impact on mental health, substance use, and it even has links to suicide.

According to StopBullying.gov, kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:

  • Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy.
  • Health complaints.
  • Decreased academic achievement, school participation, and attendance.

Kids who bully others are more likely to:

  • Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults.
  • Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school.
  • Engage in early sexual activity.
  • Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults.
  • Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults.

DOWNLOAD Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families

Concerned about Bullying? Read This.

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Kids in Tompkins County are getting bullied at school, outside of school, and online. The most recent survey of students, in 2023, showed a marked increase in bullying over the previous two years.

39 percent of 8th graders in Tompkins County say they have been bullied at school

About a quarter of students in grades 6-12 reported being bullied at school, with the greatest prevalence occurring in middle school grades, according to the Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) survey of 3,496 students.

Overall, 27.4 percent of students said they were bullied at school; 20.5 percent bullied outside school; and 20 percent bullied electronically.

Eighth graders reported the highest percentages, with 39 percent, 27.5 percent, and 25 percent saying they were bullied in those categories, respectively

The 2023 results represented an increase in overall bullying behavior since the 2021 CLYDE survey, when 21.2 percent, 18.6 percent, and 20.8 percent of students said they were bullied at school, outside school, and electronically.

The Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force publishes “Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families,” a guide with information about how bullying affects individuals and communities and what we can do to prevent it.

For schools, the guide contains resources for curricula, discussion plans, activity kits, infographics, videos, art projects, coloring books, role playing, pledge signing, clubs, Bullying Prevention Month activities, and special websites for teens and kids.

The task force distributed the guide to all school leaders as well as Parent-Teacher Organizations/Associations in Tompkins County.

“The guide presents a brief overview of bullying and its impacts as well as national and local data illustrating the extent of the problem,” said Scott MacLeod, task force coordinator.

“But the focus of the guide is on providing schools with resources with which to proactively prevent bullying. It lists resources that schools can use to organize bullying prevention activities year-round and especially for National Bullying Prevention Month in October.”

For parents and their children, the guide provides detailed information about how to file a complaint to school officials about bullying, harassment, or discrimination under the New York State Dignity for All Students Act (DASA).

“The Dignity Act is set up so that everyone has a role in supporting a child when bullying occurs,” explained Brandi Remington, TST BOCES Youth Development Coordinator and task force member.

“I want parents and family members to know that they are not alone, if they ever find themselves in this situation, and that the best thing they can do for their child is to work in partnership with their school Dignity Act Coordinator to address the issue and to improve their child’s experience.”

DOWNLOAD Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. The Task Force encourages schools and youth-serving organizations to use the occasion to provide educational programming and activities designed to reduce (and hopefully eliminate) bullying behaviors.

DOWNLOAD Tompkins County Schools Dignity Act Coordinators

Bullying can have negative and even life-long impacts on both victims and aggressors. Bullying can have a negative long-term impact on mental health, substance use, and it even has links to suicide.

According to StopBullying.gov, kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:

  • Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy.
  • Health complaints.
  • Decreased academic achievement, school participation, and attendance.

Kids who bully others are more likely to:

  • Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults.
  • Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school.
  • Engage in early sexual activity.
  • Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults.
  • Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults.

DOWNLOAD Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families

In Tompkins, It’s United in Kindness Month!

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The Tompkins County Legislature proclaimed October “United in Kindness Month.” Legislature Chair Dan Klein issued the proclamation after the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force coordinated a series of 12 events with kindness themes for the month.

For the third year in a row, the Task Force organized the series to mark National Bullying Prevention Month and National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

The Task Force’s aim is to promote kindness, acceptance, inclusion, and support. This year’s series includes a Youth Mental Health & Wellness Town Hall, “Huddle Together for Mental Health” for school sports events, a gallery exhibition featuring young artists, webinars on promoting social-emotional strengths in children and recognizing mental health conditions, risk factors, and warning signs.

“United in Kindness is a wonderful collaboration of professionals and community members who care about the well-being of kids in our community. We’re happy to partner in this effort, as bolstering kids’ mental wellness is central to our mission,” said Libby Demarest, director of Community Engagement at Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca.

VIEW OR DOWNLOAD: United in Kindness Event Series for October 2024

The Tompkins County Legislature’s Proclamation reads as follows:

PROCLAMATION
 
WHEREAS, bullying has been identified as a prevalent and serious problem affecting today’s youth, and
 
WHEREAS, types of youth bullying include physical, verbal, and relational bullying, as well as cyberbullying that involves threatening or harassing electronic communications, and
 
WHEREAS, according to the 2023 Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) survey, given to Tompkins County students In grades 7 through 12, 27 percent of teens report being bullied at school and 20 percent report being cyberbullied,  and
 
WHEREAS, bullying has psychological, physical, and academic effects and adversely affects youth who are bullied as well as those who engage in bullying, and
 
WHEREAS, more than two dozen government agencies, community organizations, parents, and representatives from the county’s six school districts formed the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force in March 2019, and
 
WHEREAS, the Task Force’s mission is to facilitate comprehensive cooperation across the community in developing and promoting appropriate bullying prevention and response strategies in Tompkins County, and
 
WHEREAS, every member of the Tompkins County community, government agencies, community organizations, school administrators. teachers, athletic coaches, parents, and students, can play a part in creating a bully-free environment in our schools, athletic fields, public spaces, and online websites, and
 
WHEREAS, the task force organizes a series of “United in Kindness” educational events and activities in October to fight bullying and domestic violence and to promote kindness and empathy throughout our community, now, therefore be it
 
RESOLVED, That the Tompkins County Legislature does hereby proclaim the month of October 2024, as
 
UNITED in KINDNESS MONTH IN TOMPKINS COUNTY
 
IN WITNESS THEREOF, I, Dan Klein, on behalf of the Tompkins County Legislature, have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the great seal of Tompkins County, State of New York, on this 15th day of October 2024.
 
Dan Klein, Chair
Tompkins County Legislature

I Wish You Knew!

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We are all more than what others see on the surface. And others see things in us that we don’t. Here’s a chance for young people in Tompkins County to create a piece of artwork that expresses how you would like to be seen.

Artwork from the Mental Health Association’s 2023 “How I See Myself” exhibition

“I Wish You Knew” is an art exhibition organized and hosted by the Mental Health Association in Tompkins County in recognition of National Bullying Prevention month in October.

Young artists and would-be artists may submit artworks for the exhibition, which will take place from October 21–November 6 at the association’s Outreach, Education, and Training Center in Center Ithaca on the Ithaca Commons.

The exhibition invites youth ages 21 and under to create a piece of artwork about what “you wish people knew”—about yourself, or about them, or even about the problem of bullying. All styles and mediums are welcome.

The submission deadline is October 11th. Artists have the option of being anonymous.

Melanie Little, director of Training and Peer Education, said that the exhibition, creates an outlet for young people to be heard, and for their peers and adults to learn.

“Through artistic expression, we can communicate what is difficult to put into words and express challenging emotions in ways that support our mental well-being,” she said.

The association will host a “First Friday” Ithaca Gallery Night reception for artists on November 1 from 5-8 p.m. at its Outreach center.

Click here for more information and how to submit artwork.

“I Wish You Knew” is the Mental Health Association’s second annual art show for Tompkins County’s United in Kindness series of programs. In 2023, the organization hosted “How I See Myself,” which drew 30 self-portraits from students aged 10-17.

Youth Bullying Is on the Rise

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After a downtick earlier in the decade, U.S. high school students are reporting an increase in bullying at school, according to the “Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Data Summary & Trends Report 2013-2023” released in August by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Tompkins County schools, 1 in 4 students report being bullied on school property

The report said that 19 percent of survey respondents reported being bullied at school, compared to 15 percent in the 2021 YRBS survey. The figure was slightly lower than the 20 percent who reported being a victim of bullying on school property back in 2013.

Twenty-two percent of female students and 29 percent of those identifying as LGBTQ+, compared to 17 percent of male students, reported being bullied at school.

The percentage of males and females reporting school bullying in 2023 compared to 2021 increased from 13 percent to 17 percent, and 17 percent to 22 percent, respectively. The percentage of LGBTQ+ students reporting school bullying jumped from 23 percent to 29 percent.

The percentage of students reporting cyberbullying has remained very constant over the past 10 years, fluctuating between 15 percent and 16 percent. Female and LGBTQ+ students, 21 percent and 25 percent, respectively, were about twice as likely to be bullied online than male students (12 percent).

The national data show that 23 percent of white teens, 21 percent of multiracial teens, 17 percent of American Indian teens, 16 percent of Hispanic teens, 14 percent of Black teens, and 11 percent of Asian teens, reported being bullied at school.

The survey showed that 20 percent of white teens, 18 percent of multiracial teens, 15 percent of American Indian teens, 14 percent of Hispanic teens, 13 percent of Asian teens, and 11 percent of Black teens experienced cyberbullying.

In Tompkins County, youth bullying appears more prevalent than the national average, according to the Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) survey of students in grades 7-12 in 2023.

According to the survey, 27.4 percent of the Tompkins students reported being bullied at school and 20 percent reported being cyberbullied.

The 2023 figures represented a jump from the data reported in the previous 2021 CLYDE survey. Students reporting being bullied at school increased from 21.2 percent to 27.4 percent; those reporting cyberbullying dipped slightly from 20.8 percent to 20 percent.

READ: Bullying Prevention Month Activities in Tompkins County

The CLYDE survey numbers may skew higher in part because, unlike the national YRBS, the Tompkins data includes 7th and 8th graders who register bullying experiences anywhere from five to 15 percentage points higher than high schoolers.

Indeed, the highest percentages for Tompkins school bullying and cyberbullying were among middle school students; 34.7 percent and 39 percent of 7th and 8th grade students, respectively, reported being bullied at school. Similarly, 23.8 percent and 25 percent, respectively, reported being cyberbullied.

Those numbers represent a notable increase since the 2021 CLYDE survey, when 29 percent and 24.6 percent of 7th and 8th graders, respectively, reported school bullying; and 23 percent and 22.4 percent reported being cyberbullied.

Broken down by gender and race in the CLYDE survey, being a victim of bullying at school was reported by 36.6 percent of all other gender identities, 36.3 percent of Black girls, 34.8 percent of all American Indian youth, 33.9 percent of all Black youth, 29 percent of all girls, 25.9 percent of all Hispanic youth, 24.8 percent of all males, and 19.3 percent of all Asian youth.

Being a victim of cyberbullying was reported by 28.3 percent of Black girls, 27 percent of all American Indians, 24.6 percent of all Black youth, 24.3 percent of all girls, 19.5 percent of Hispanic youth, 19 percent of all other gender identities, and 16.2 percent of all males, and 16.2 percent of all Asian youth.

The CDC defines youth bullying as “any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated.” The CDC says that bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.

According to stopbullying.gov, a website operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the relationship between bullying and suicide is complex. The website says that persistent bullying can lead to or worsen feelings of isolation, rejection, exclusion, and despair, as well as depression and anxiety, which can contribute to suicidal behavior. But most young people who die by suicide have multiple risk factors, the website says.

Concerned about bullying? To contact or join the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force, email The Sophie Fund at: thesophiefund2016@gmail.com