Bullied Teens Less Likely to be Depressed if They Feel Connected at School

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Northwestern University.

Feeling connected at school can stave off depression symptoms associated with being a victim of bullying in adolescence, according to a recently published study from scientists at Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Previous studies have examined bullying victimization and health outcomes among children and youth, but they often evaluate study participants at a single time point, neglecting the potential cumulative effects of bullying across childhood.

In this study, youth reported the impact of bullying first when they were nine years old, and then again when they were 15, which allowed the scientists to evaluate and account for the impact of the repeated bullying over time.

“Our findings indicate that kids who were bullied at both ages 9 and 15 had the highest levels of anxiety and depression,” said corresponding author Tiwaloluwa Ajibewa, assistant professor of preventive medicine (epidemiology) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Taken together, our results point in part to the compounding harm of bullying on mental health outcomes.”

The study was published in BMC Public Health.

“Childhood experiences shape health and well-being for a lifetime,” said senior author Norrina Allen, vice chair for research in the department of preventive medicine at Feinberg. “This study shows us the harms of bullying can accumulate and affect both mental and physical health, but that feeling connected at school can help protect against these lasting effects. As a parent, this is especially timely with the start of a new school year — every child deserves to begin the year feeling safe, supported, and included.”

Source: Northwestern University
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/08/bullied-teens-less-likely-to-be-depressed-if-they-feel-connected-at-school-study-finds/