Children and teens have killed each other and committed suicide after being involved in verbal, relationship, or cyberbullying. Words do hurt and they can have a devastating effect on the emotional wellbeing of anyone, but especially young people.

All kids make mistakes; it’s part of growing up. Parents who deny the possibility that their child is capable of being hurtful make it harder for bullies to get the help they need.

Kids can often change roles, going from victim to bully and back again. For example, a bully in fifth grade may be a victim when he moves to middle school, or a victim in the playground can take revenge and become the bully online.

There are a lot of reasons why kids bully. Some are bullied themselves, at home or elsewhere; others bully only when they feel stressed or overwhelmed.