You and your friend have walked to school together for as long as you can remember. Lately, though, your friend doesn't laugh and joke like he used to and he seems distracted and jumpy. The other day he actually swore to you he was going to start carrying a weapon.

Maybe your friend is being bullied at school. It happens more than many people may think - about one out of ten teens is the victim of bullying at some point during childhood or adolescence. Maybe in comparison to school shootings like the one at Columbine High School, being bullied doesn't seem all that important. But if you've ever been bullied, you know that's not the truth. Bullying can change everything for you. Read on to learn more about dealing with bullies.

Reviewed by: Steve Dowshen, MD, and Jennifer Shroff Pendley, PhD
Date reviewed: March 2001