By comparing the perspectives of parents and teachers, the study’s findings show that more than 16% of elementary school children are likely victims of bullying, nearly 18% of children exhibit aggressive behavior, and just over 6% of children are both likely victims of bullying and exhibit aggressive behavior. Children involved in these various situations exhibit impaired indicators of mental health (emotional, oppositional, or inattention/hyperactivity domains).

These results confirm that, starting in childhood, in addition to early and effective identification of bullying situations, prevention must be strengthened, particularly through the development of children’s psychosocial skills, which serve as tools to help them learn how to respond in various social interactions.

This research is part of a broader initiative on mental health—the 2025 National Priority, extended through 2026—aimed in particular at promoting good mental health and preventing the onset of mental health disorders. This study helps inform the public policy decisions needed to create, from a very young age, living environments conducive to children’s well-being.

Confirmed cases of bullying among children aged 6 to 11

Bullying is one of the main factors likely to impact children’s mental health, with consequences for their lives in the short term (anxiety, isolation, behavioral disorders) and medium term (depression, suicidal thoughts, dropping out of school); this is why better understanding this phenomenon and taking action against bullying are genuine public health challenges.

It is important to note that the results presented do not concern cases of sexual harassment or harassment of a child by an adult; they pertain solely to probable instances of peer-to-peer bullying occurring either at school or outside of school.

Based on a representative sample of nearly 8,200 schoolchildren in grades 1 through 5 in mainland France, and combining the perspectives of parents and teachers, the study reveals that:

• 16.4% of children are likely victims of bullying

• 17.9% of children exhibit aggressive behavior

• 6.1% of children are both likely victims of bullying and exhibit aggressive behavior

• Girls are more often identified as likely victims of bullying and exhibit aggressive behavior less often than boys.

Impaired mental health, particularly among children who are both likely victims and exhibit aggressive behavior

The study also shows that children who are likely victims of bullying, and those who exhibit aggressive behavior, are more frequently likely to have at least one probable mental health disorder—such as an emotional, oppositional, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—that impacts their daily lives, compared to other children.

This finding is even more pronounced among children who are both victims and aggressors (6.1%), with 40.9% of them exhibiting at least one mental health disorder, compared to 6.8% for children not involved in such behaviors.

Among these children who experience both victimization and aggression:

• 27.3% of them have a probable oppositional disorder

• 18.4% of them have a probable attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

• 10.2% of them have a probable emotional disorder

For victims, aggression can indeed serve as a protective mechanism against their own emotional distress, underscoring the importance of intervention.

Children involved in bullying situations: what are the individual and family vulnerabilities?

Another finding: children with learning disabilities, those receiving at least one form of academic support, those born prematurely, those who are overweight or obese, as well as those with lower prosocial skills are more likely to be victims of bullying or to exhibit aggressive behaviors. A history of past aggression or violence (perpetrated by someone over 15 years old) is more strongly associated with aggressive behavior in children.

Furthermore, compared to children not involved in bullying situations, children who are likely victims of bullying or exhibit aggressive behavior are more often from single-parent families, with a responding parent who has an educational level below or equivalent to a high school diploma, and who reports a financial situation perceived as difficult. The psychosocial characteristics of the responding parent (likely presence of depression or anxiety and low perceived social support) are also associated with the child’s involvement in bullying situations.

Finally, the results do not suggest an association with use of the school cafeteria or after-school care. It should also be noted that social media use tends to be more frequent among children with aggressive behaviors compared to others.
However, it is important to remember that these associations should not be interpreted as causal or deterministic relationships, but rather as expressions of vulnerabilities whose effects depend heavily on the context in which the child is raised.

Preventing peer bullying: what are the levers for action with children?

These findings confirm the need to intervene at a very young age and underscore the importance of prevention and effective early detection of bullying situations, which serve as a key lever for improving children’s mental health starting at age 6.

For example, Santé publique France is committed to promoting psychosocial skills (PSS), a tool to be leveraged for the benefit of mental health from a very young age. Strengthening PSCs can indeed help create a protective and inclusive school environment, while preventing dynamics of domination and peer violence. Thus, in 2022, the Agency published an initial review of the literature on PSCs and a theoretical framework, supplemented by an operational framework and resources published in 2025. As part of the interministerial strategy on the development of social and emotional skills (SES) in children and youth, Santé publique France develops and co-creates these tools to support stakeholders in local communities. It thus provided SES expertise for the development of the Ministry of Education’s empathy kit, which will be rolled out in all preschool and elementary schools by the start of the 2024 school year.

This work is part of the Phare program, an initiative to combat bullying in schools.

Note that effective or promising prevention programs on this topic are listed in ReperPrev, the national registry of prevention and health promotion interventions established by Santé publique France, such as the Good Behavior Game (GBG). The Family and Parenting Support Program (PSFP) will soon be added to ReperPrev.

In addition, numerous information tools supported by Santé publique France, such as CléPsy and Psycom, help raise awareness among education professionals and families about the issue of bullying.

Furthermore, 3018, a national toll-free and anonymous hotline operated by the e-Enfance association, offers support to children who are victims of bullying and their families.