Summary: Bullying is often dismissed as a “normal part of growing up,” but new research reveals a much darker reality. A study of 250 elementary students (grades 3–5) found that over 40% of children who experienced peer victimization developed clinically significant trauma symptoms.
The study highlights that physical hits aren’t the only cause of distress; exclusion, rumors, and early-onset cyberbullying are driving a hidden epidemic of “intrusive thoughts” and “hyper-vigilance” in children as young as eight.
Key Facts
- The 40% Threshold: Nearly half of the victims reported trauma symptoms comparable to those seen in survivors of traditional “major” traumas, including avoidance and negative self-perception.
- Invisible Aggression: “Relational” victimization—like being gossiped about or intentionally excluded—was found to be just as psychologically damaging as physical bullying.
- The School-to-Home Pipeline: 25% of elementary students reported cyber victimization, proving that bullying now follows children home through devices much earlier than previously thought.
- The Teacher Gap: There was a massive disconnect between student reports and teacher observations. Many incidents of exclusion or property destruction go entirely unnoticed by school staff.
- Lasting Consequences: The trauma symptoms did not fade with the school year; they persisted for more than six months, suggesting a long-term shift in the child’s mental health.
Source: University of Florida
Bullying and other forms of peer victimization can cause trauma symptoms in elementary school children, according to new research from the University of Florida.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, found that more than 40% of children who experienced peer victimization showed clinically significant trauma symptoms, suggesting these experiences can have profound psychological effects.
“Bullying is often viewed as a normal part of growing up, but our findings suggest that for many children these experiences can be genuinely harmful,” said John L. Cooley, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and assistant professor in UF’s College of Education.
The research followed 250 students in grades three through five at two elementary schools, examining their experiences with peer victimization and tracking trauma-related symptoms over the school year.
Peer victimization includes a range of experiences, such as being teased, excluded from groups, threatened, having rumors spread or being targeted online. Bullying is more severe and involves a power imbalance between the aggressor and victim.
“When people think about peer victimization and bullying, they often picture physical aggression like hitting or pushing,” Cooley said. “But these experiences can also involve teasing, exclusion, gossip, property destruction or cyber victimization.”
Researchers found that about 9 in 10 students experienced at least one instance of peer victimization during the early part of the school year. Children who experienced these events reported trauma symptoms across several areas, including avoidance, intrusive thoughts, negative emotions, heightened physical responses and changes in how they view themselves or others.
“Children may try to avoid thinking about what happened or withdraw from others,” Cooley said. “At the same time, they may have unwanted thoughts about those experiences, trouble sleeping or feel constantly on alert.”
The effects were not short-lived. The study found that the impact of peer victimization persisted more than six months later, suggesting these experiences can have lasting consequences for children’s mental health. The same pattern emerged for all forms of peer victimization.
Researchers were also surprised by how early children were targeted online. About one in four children in the study reported experiencing cyber victimization. “Often the aggression begins at school and then continues online when children go home,” Cooley said.
The study also found that many incidents go unnoticed by adults. While students reported high rates of victimization, teachers identified far fewer cases.
“There is often a lot happening that adults simply aren’t aware of,” Cooley said. “Some incidents occur outside of adult supervision, and others involve behaviors like exclusion or gossip that can be harder to detect.”
Because of this, researchers say it is important for parents and educators to ask children directly about their peer experiences.
“It’s critical that we talk with children about what they’re experiencing and take those reports seriously,” Cooley said.
Key Questions Answered:
A: Absolutely. Lead author John L. Cooley emphasizes that exclusion and gossip trigger the same trauma responses as physical fights. Victims reported “intrusive thoughts” (unwanted memories of the event) and “avoidance” (withdrawing from friends), which are classic markers of PTSD.
A: The study found a major “awareness gap.” Most bullying in 3rd–5th grade involves subtle social power plays or property destruction that happens just out of sight. Because these behaviors are harder to detect than a fistfight, teachers identified far fewer cases than the students actually experienced.
A: Surprisingly early. The study found 1 in 4 children in grades 3–5 were already targets of online aggression. Often, a conflict that starts at recess continues on gaming platforms or messaging apps once the child gets home, giving them zero “safe space” to recover.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this trauma and neurodevelopment research news
Author: Eric Hamilton
Source: University of Florida
Contact: Eric Hamilton – University of Florida
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“Peer Victimization and Bullying are Potentially Traumatic Stressors Among Children” by John L. Cooley, Jenna G. Sims, Tarrah B. Mitchell, Carlos R. Sanchez, Brianna T. Ricker, and Montana M. Pollina. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology
DOI:10.1080/15374416.2026.2637092
Abstract
Peer Victimization and Bullying are Potentially Traumatic Stressors Among Children
Objective
Peer victimization and bullying are increasingly recognized as potentially traumatic stressors. Relatively little research, however, has been conducted during middle childhood, and no known studies have examined the impact of cyber victimization during this developmental period. Moreover, the vast majority of previous work has been cross-sectional in nature. The current short-term longitudinal study sought to address each of these gaps in the literature and to identify specific thresholds that are associated with increased risk for trauma symptoms.
Method
Participants included a sample of 250 children (grades 3–5; 52% boys; 50% Hispanic/Latinx) and their homeroom teachers. Peer victimization was assessed using child- and teacher-reports and bullying was assessed using child-reports at Time 1. Trauma symptoms were assessed using child-reports at Times 1 and 2.
Results
Across both time points, 43% of children reported elevated trauma symptoms stemming from their experiences of peer victimization. Traditional and cyber victimization and bullying were associated with greater trauma symptoms, and these effects persisted 6.5 months later. Child-reports of traditional and cyber victimization and bullying at least “2 or 3 Times a Month” were meaningful lower-bound thresholds, although children who reported experiences “Several Times a Week” exhibited the greatest risk.
Conclusions
A significant proportion of children who experience peer victimization report clinically significant trauma symptoms, and both traditional and cyber victimization as well as bullying confer lasting risk during middle childhood. Findings highlight the importance of screening to identify children negatively impacted by these experiences and the need for additional research to investigate trauma-focused interventions.
