The signs of bullying – what parents need to look for

EL PASO, Texas -- October is Bullying Prevention Month. It's the perfect time for parents to sit down with their children and talk about this ever growing problem.

Here are some statistics to consider:

• More than one out of every five (20.8%) students report being bullied, according to 2016 findings from the National Center for Educational Statistics.
• In 2015, The U.S. Department of Education says the federal government began collecting data on school bullying in 2005, when the prevalence of bullying was around 28 percent.
• Rates of bullying vary across studies from 9% to 98%. A meta-analysis of 80 studies analyzing bullying involvement rates - for both bullying others and being bullied - for 12-18 year old students reported a mean prevalence rate of 35% for traditional bullying involvement and 15% for cyberbullying involvement. Source: Modecki, Minchin, Harbaugh, Guerra, & Runions, 2014.
• 33% of students who reported being bullied at school indicated that they were bullied at least once or twice a month during the school year. Source: National Center for Educational Statistics, 2016.
• Of those students who reported being bullied, 13% were made fun of, called names, or insulted; 12% were the subject of rumors; 5% were pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on; and 5% were excluded from activities on purpose. Source: National Center for Educational Statistics, 2016.

Teresa Cano, Nursing Director of Pediatrics with The Hospitals of Providence, discussed bullying on ABC-7 at Four.