School Bullying Statistics UK: 2026 Facts, Data & Key Insights

School bullying remains one of the most significant contributors to poor mental health in children and young people across the United Kingdom. Despite decades of awareness campaigns, anti-bullying legislation, and school policy development, more than 1 in 5 secondary pupils was bullied in the past year according to the latest government data. This guide brings together current statistics from the Department for Education, the Anti-Bullying Alliance, the ONS, and youth mental health organisations to provide the most comprehensive UK school bullying reference available.

Key Facts

21% of pupils in years 7 to 13 were bullied in the past 12 months (DfE National Behaviour Survey, May 2025) — down from 24% in April 2024
1 in 4 people under 25 is currently experiencing bullying in the UK (The Mix/Shout, Anti-Bullying Week 2024)
77% of under-25s have been bullied at some point in their lives
25% of KS3 pupils (years 7–9) report being bullied — higher than KS4 (19%) and KS5 (11%)
29% of pupils who were bullied said at least some of it happened online — consistent across 2024 and 2025
The most common reason for bullying is appearance (44%), followed by SEN/disability (14%), sexual orientation (10%), and race/ethnicity (9%)
43% of LGBTQ+ pupils in the UK are bullied in school because of their identity (Stonewall)
20% of children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales experienced at least one form of online bullying behaviour in the year ending March 2023 (ONS)
Girls were significantly more likely to experience online bullying: 22.5% of girls vs 16.0% of boys (ONS)
80% of pupils said they felt safe at school every day or most days (May 2025) — up from 73% in May 2024
35 conversations about bullying are held every day on the Shout crisis text service; 35% are with texters aged 13 or under
Bullying is strongly associated with depression, anxiety, self-harm, and social isolation

How Many School Children Are Bullied in the UK?

The Department for Education's National Behaviour Survey is the most authoritative annual source of school bullying data in England. Its May 2025 wave — based on nationally representative data from pupils in years 7 to 13 — found that 21% had been bullied in the past 12 months. This represents a statistically significant decrease from 24% in April 2024, and the lowest figure in recent survey cycles.

However, the improvement should not be overstated. One in five secondary school pupils still reports being bullied — meaning millions of children in England are experiencing a problem with well-documented mental health consequences every year.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance's analysis of the same survey found that pupils in KS3 (years 7 to 9) are most affected, with 25% reporting bullying — compared with 19% at KS4 and 11% at KS5. This age-related pattern is consistent with research on adolescent development: the transition to secondary school coincides with rapid social reorganisation, heightened social comparison, and the emergence of identity-related vulnerabilities. It is also the period in which youth mental health difficulties — particularly anxiety — most commonly first emerge.

Anti-Bullying Week 2024 research by The Mix and Shout presented a broader picture of bullying across the under-25 age group. Their findings found that 1 in 4 people under 25 is currently experiencing bullying, and 77% have been bullied at some point in their lives. These figures capture bullying beyond the school gate — in further education, online, and in other social settings.

Why Are Pupils Being Bullied?

The DfE National Behaviour Survey asks pupils who have been bullied to identify the reason they believe they were targeted. The results reveal a clear picture of which characteristics attract victimisation:

Appearance — 44% — the most commonly cited reason by a substantial margin
SEN or disability — 14%
Sexual orientation — 10%
Race or ethnicity — 9%
Sex — 8%
Nationality — 5%
Religion or belief — 4%

Appearance-based bullying encompasses a wide range of targeting: weight, height, clothing, hair, skin condition, disability-related appearance, and perceived physical difference. It is consistently the leading category and reflects the intense social pressure around physical appearance that characterises adolescence — particularly for girls.

LGBTQ+ pupils face particularly disproportionate rates of bullying. Research by Stonewall found that 43% of LGBTQ+ pupils in the UK are bullied in school because of their identity. This has direct and serious consequences for mental health — LGBTQ+ young people are twice as likely to experience poor mental health compared to their peers, and the Trevor Project's 2024 UK survey found that LGBTQ+ young people in unsupportive school environments attempted suicide at more than twice the rate of those in accepting ones.

Online Bullying: The Digital Dimension

Bullying does not stop at the school gate, and for many young people the online dimension is continuous and inescapable. The DfE National Behaviour Survey found that among pupils who were bullied, 29% said at least some of it happened online — a figure that has remained consistent across both the 2024 and 2025 surveys. At the same time, 87% said at least some bullying happened in person, confirming that most online bullying is an extension of in-person bullying rather than a separate phenomenon.

The ONS Bullying and Online Experiences Survey (year ending March 2023) provides the most detailed breakdown of online bullying behaviours among younger children. It found that 20% of children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales had experienced at least one form of online bullying behaviour in the previous year. Girls were significantly more affected: 22.5% of girls vs 16.0% of boys. The most common online bullying behaviours were receiving a nasty message (10.9%) and being called names online (9.6%).

For the complete data on cyberbullying, including platform-specific information and the role of AI-generated content, see our cyberbullying statistics guide.

The Mental Health Consequences of School Bullying

The mental health consequences of school bullying are well documented and extend well beyond the period of victimisation. Bullying is a significant risk factor for depression and anxiety, and is strongly associated with self-harm, social isolation, and reduced educational attainment. Research consistently shows that the effects can persist into adulthood — adults who were bullied in childhood show elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and interpersonal difficulties.

Shout data from Anti-Bullying Week 2024 found that on average, 35 conversations about bullying are held on the crisis text service every day, with 75% involving young people and 35% with texters aged 13 or under. The most common forms of bullying reported across these conversations were verbal bullying (72%), social or relational bullying (35%), and physical bullying (18%).

Safety and Belonging in Schools

The DfE survey includes measures beyond bullying prevalence that track how safe and included pupils feel. In May 2025, 80% of year 7 to 13 pupils reported feeling safe at school every day or most days — a statistically significant rise from 73% in May 2024. The proportion of pupils who felt they belonged at their school every day or most days rose from 57% to 69% in the same period.

These are genuine improvements and deserve recognition. At the same time, they underscore that the remaining gap — 20% of pupils who do not consistently feel safe, 31% who do not feel they belong — represents a significant and ongoing challenge.

What Schools Can Do

Evidence consistently shows that whole-school approaches to bullying prevention — rather than reactive case-by-case responses — are most effective. Schools that embed anti-bullying values in their culture, ensure staff are trained to recognise and respond to bullying, provide clear and trusted reporting mechanisms, and address the social dynamics that create bullying conditions see significantly better outcomes.

Equipping education staff with the skills to recognise the mental health consequences of bullying is an essential part of this picture. Our Mental Health First Aid courses include provision specifically designed for education settings.

Written by Mental Health Experts

This guide was produced by the team at Mental Health First Aid Course. We publish evidence-based data resources to help schools, education professionals, and parents understand the true scale of school bullying and its mental health consequences.