AI for Good – Using AI to Root Out Bullying and Build Resilience
Bullying among youth has evolved beyond school hallways to social media feeds, group chats, and online games. Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. teens report being bullied, with over 20% facing cyberbullying, according to the CDC and Pew Research Center. As digital platforms increasingly mediate teen relationships, harmful behaviors like harassment, exclusion, and rumor-spreading often go unchecked—leaving many young people to suffer in silence. But alongside these challenges, a powerful solution is emerging: artificial intelligence (AI). Once associated mostly with science fiction or big tech, AI is now being harnessed in very real ways to detect, disrupt, and prevent bullying—giving teens, educators, and parents new tools to stand up for kindness.
From AI-powered keyboard apps, which prompt teens to reconsider sending hurtful messages, to school-based monitoring tools, these technologies are helping identify threats in real time—often before anyone is harmed. Chatbots and research projects are also showing how AI can support victims directly by helping them process emotional distress or distinguish between teasing and harmful behavior. Even platforms like Google’s Be Internet Awesome and IBM’s AI ethics workshops are empowering teens to not just understand how AI works, but how they can use it to foster empathy and digital responsibility. The message is clear: AI doesn’t have to be impersonal—it can be a tool for compassion.
These resources represent a growing movement to use AI for good, not just to moderate content, but to change culture. When paired with education, transparency, and youth leadership, AI can amplify teen voices, prevent escalation, and create safer environments online and off. As schools and families explore new ways to support young people, tapping into this tech-driven ecosystem—one that combines digital tools, thoughtful design, and human values—may be one of the most promising paths to stop bullying before it starts.
Organizations
StopBullying.gov
U.S. government hub offering resources on preventing and responding to bullying, including cyberbullying guidance for youth, parents, and educators.
PACER Teens Against Bullying
Student-led initiative empowering teens to take pledges, share support, and foster kindness and inclusion to eliminate bullying in schools.
STOMP Out Bullying
Leading U.S. nonprofit combatting bullying and cyberbullying through awareness campaigns, educational programs, and youth support networks.
Stand For Courage
Teaches de‑escalation and intervention skills, empowering students to act as courageous bystanders in bullying situations within schools.
GLSEN
National organization ensuring safe, inclusive schools for LGBTQ+ youth via educator training, research, clubs, and anti-bullying advocacy.
Ditch the Label
UK-based nonprofit offering free resources, surveys, and support for teens worldwide to understand and resist bullying and cyberbullying.
Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower
Provides empowering workshops teaching safety, boundary-setting, and communication skills to help youth prevent bullying and abuse.
Born This Way Foundation
Founded by Lady Gaga, promotes kindness, mental health support, and open discussions to build braver, bully‑free youth communities.
National Voices for Equality, Education & Enlightenment (NVEEE)
Miami‑based nonprofit focusing on bullying and suicide prevention through pledges, education, mentoring, and community outreach.
TeachAntiBullying.org
Offers school assemblies and parent workshops to educate, empower, and prevent bullying and school violence since 2011.
Scholarly Articles
Bullying Prevention in Adolescence: Solutions and New Challenges (2021)
Reviews effectiveness and limitations of school-based programs, focusing on iatrogenic effects, peer defending complexities, and the “healthy context paradox.”
Current Perspectives: The Impact of Cyberbullying on Adolescent Health (2014)
Highlights links between cyberbullying and adolescent depression, anxiety, loneliness, suicidal behaviors, and
Effectiveness of School-Based Programs to Reduce Bullying (2022)
Meta-analysis of 100 evaluations showing modest but significant reductions in bullying perpetration (~18–19%) and victimization (~15–16%).
Bullying Behaviors Among US Youth: Prevalence and Association (2008)
Large-scale study on prevalence and concurrent emotional/behavioral issues, urging further research and targeted intervention.
Meta-analysis of Bullying and Depressive Symptoms (2023)
Examines 31 studies (n≈133,688); shows bullied youth have ~2.77× risk of depression, bullies ~1.73×; bully-victims ~3.19×.
Development & Evaluation of “Bullying&You” Program (2025)
Describes a blended school-based intervention under randomized trial in Germany (40 schools, n≈8,500) evaluating feasibility and effectiveness.
A Mathematical Model for Bullying Dynamics (2025)
Proposes a compartmental model (susceptible, bully, victim, violent), highlighting intervention thresholds based on school and parental involvement.
School Bullying Leads to Poor Psychological Conditions (2023)
Survey of 95,545 students in Sichuan: bullying severity strongly correlates with anxiety, PTSD symptoms, depression, poor sleep, and behavioral problems.
Cyberbullying Detection with ML: Naive Bayes & SVM (2022)
Introduces an AI-powered system detecting cyberbullying with 92% accuracy by analyzing messages and triggering interventions via chatbot.
Cyberbullying Detection: Datasets, Technologies, and Approaches (2024)
Systematic review of social-media based cyberbullying detection methods, datasets, and limitations; proposes future research directions.
News
Schools use AI to monitor kids, hoping to prevent violence. Our investigation found security risks
U.S. schools adopt AI surveillance on devices to catch bullying or self-harm. Privacy breaches raise concerns about trust and safety.
Investigation Finds Nex Benedict’s School District Was “Deliberately Indifferent” to Harassment Complaints
Oklahoma district neglected Title IX bullying complaints, contributing to nonbinary teenager Nex Benedict’s death—federal resolution now underway.
1 in 3 U.S. Teens Say They’ve Been Bullied
National data highlights one-third of American teens experienced bullying, with guidance provided for parents via stopbullying.gov.
Facts About Bullying | StopBullying.gov
Federal statistics show 19.2% of U.S. students ages 12–18 reported bullying in 2021–22; cyberbullying affected 21.6% of those bullied.
9 facts about bullying in the U.S. – Pew Research Center
Survey reports nearly half of teens have experienced cyberbullying—with girls and minority teens being disproportionately impacted.
The Mental Health Impact of Bullying on Kids and Teens
Highlights elevated depression, anxiety, suicidal risk, and academic challenges among bullied youth, based on JAMA and other research.
Woman Says She Suffered ‘Bullying’ and ‘Tormenting’ by Ex‑Friends in Middle School, Awarded $1 Million
Eleri Irons’s lawsuit reveals death-threat petition circulated among peers; her school district was negligent in enforcing anti‑bullying policies.
Northside joins lawsuit against social media companies that attract youth
San Antonio district joins class action claiming TikTok and YouTube algorithms promote bullying content, seeking regulation and mental-health funding.
AI
Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence–Based Cyberbullying Moderation (2022)
Examines children’s views on AI moderation tools—balancing protection with privacy, and ensuring rights are respected.
Cyberbullying and the Technology to Stop, Prevent and Combat It in Schools
U.S. schools deploy AI-monitoring tools (e.g. Lightspeed, Beacon) to flag student behavior on devices for timely intervention.
How Machine Learning Can Help Us Combat Online Abuse: A Primer
Overview of AI strategies—automated flagging, quarantining, and account control—to preempt digital harassment.
Artificial Intelligence to Address Cyberbullying, Harassment and Abuse
Reviews AI models detecting online exclusion and relational bullying with improved accuracy using natural language processing.
Development of an AI Anti-Bullying System Using Large Language Model Key Topic Detection (2024)
Investigates LLM-based system identifying coordinated bullying on social media and recommending automated remediation.
AgentPeerTalk: Empowering Students via Agentic-AI in Schools (2024)
Uses LLM (ChatGPT‑4) to help students distinguish bullying from joking in real-time peer interactions—promising context-aware support.
AI Enabled User‑Specific Cyberbullying Severity Detection (2025)
Novel LSTM models combine user traits with comments to detect bullying severity (mild vs. severe) with 98% accuracy, using explainable AI.
AI Powered Anti‑Cyber Bullying System using MNB & SVM (2022)
Prototyped a chatbot-driven system detecting and intercepting bullying messages with 92% accuracy, using Naive Bayes and SVM models.
Anti‑Bullying Apps Are Popular. But Do They Work? (2022)
WIRED explores limits of AI-powered anti-bullying apps; emphasizes that tech must complement—not replace—adult intervention and school action.
Videos
Teen Regrets Bullying The Rich Kid (Dhar Mann)
A motivational short where a teen regretfully apologizes after bullying another student, sparking reflection and empathy. Over 23 M views—real-life lesson in kindness and consequences.
BEST Anti‑BULLYING Video for Students – Jeremy Anderson
Powerful school assembly clip by motivational speaker Jeremy Anderson; encourages students to stand up, show empathy, and stop bullying through unity and respect.
The School Bully vs. The A‑Student (“Paulie”)
Short narrative exploring the impact of bullying on academic and social life, showing how kindness and resilience can overcome adversity.
Protect Yourself Rules – Bullying (Grades 4–6)
Elementary school–focused lesson from Barbara Sinatra Children’s Foundation teaching proactive strategies for handling bullies and using assertive communication.
2023 Teen Summit: Teens Share Bullying Experiences
Real teens speak candidly about bullying at a 2023 summit—highlighting emotional impact, peer support, and the power of shared stories.
Weirdos – High School Anti‑Bullying Web Series
Episode from U.S.-produced adolescent series tackling gym-class bullying with humor, peer solidarity, and empowerment.
Outpouring of Anger, Tears Over Bullying at High School
News-report clip showing emotional reactions at Central Regional High School assembly after exposing widespread bullying—underscoring student voices and call for change.
How To Survive School Bullying (Documentary)
Emotional short documentary featuring four teens sharing their dark experiences and survival strategies—honest depiction of despair and hope.
Bully (2011 US Documentary Trailer)
Trailer for the acclaimed U.S. documentary “Bully,” following real students’ experiences and sparking school reform, empathy, and anti-bullying activism nationwide.
Adina’s Deck – Cyberbullying Prevention Series
Episode from an official U.S. educational series teaching middle-schoolers investigation skills and digital safety strategies to thwart cyberbullying.
Books
The Survival Guide to Bullying: Written by a Teen
Practical guide with personal stories by a teen author, covering cyberbullying, fear management, and empowering tips for self-esteem rebuilding. Includes quizzes, poems, and coping strategies.
The Bullying Workbook for Teens (Raychelle Cassada Lohmann)
Activity-based workbook packed with exercises and coping tools addressing social aggression, cyberbullying, and anxiety—designed to help teens build resilience and assertiveness.
Bully Prevention Tips for Teens (Yvonne Brooks & Stephanie R. Bien)
Offers eighteen accessible, psychology-backed strategies for teens to prepare emotionally, mentally, and physically to confront bullying and maintain personal safety.
The Cyber‑bullying Survival Handbook for Teens
Simplified guide with practical activities teaching online safety, emotional coping, and response skills to protect against digital harassment.
Vicious: True Stories by Teens About Bullying
Plus-sized essay collection featuring honest teen narratives about physical, verbal, relational, and cyberbullying—raw, moving, and relatable resilience in every story.
Bullying (Carol Hand)
Comprehensive teen nonfiction covering bullying dynamics, prevention techniques, and resources—well-suited as an educational classroom supplement.
Bullying (Katie Marsico)
Teens’ guide to understanding reasons behind bullying, emotional impact, and strategies to safely confront or avoid aggressive behavior.
Bullying (Lori Hile)
Illustrated resource offering teen‐friendly explanations of bullying types, legal rights, bystander roles, and how dynamics play out in school environments.
Anti‑Bullying Basics: Bullied by Groups (World Book)
Focused on group bullying dynamics, this guide provides practical advice on peer pressure, clique exclusion, and effective self‑advocacy in youth settings.
Online Bullying (Phillip Ryan)
Addresses online harassment in depth—examines digital communication pitfalls, emotional effects, and offers actionable tips for teens to stay safe online.
Podcasts
Bully This – A Hero’s Journey
Hosts interview former bullies & victims sharing transformation stories, empathy-building tools, and actionable advice for families to overcome bullying’s effects.
Bullying & Cyberbullying: Just Kids Health Podcast, Episode 21
YouTube episode featuring health experts discussing bullying’s escalation in the digital age and prevention strategies.
Dealing with Being Bullied – This Teenage Life, S6E16
Teen hosts share personal experiences with bullying, self-esteem recovery, and use stigma reduction tactics to support bullied youth.
Session 237: Cyberbullying & Online Harassment – Therapy for Black Girls
Psychologist Dr. Joy Harden Bradford talks with experts on racialized cyberbullying’s effects on Black youth and mental health support.
Don’t Be a Cyberbully! – TechStuff
Tech podcast episode explores the history, mechanisms, and warning signs of cyberbullying, helping listeners identify and prevent online harassment.
Track 5: Empowering Our Kids: Bullying Awareness – Dāli Rivera
Parenting coach Dāli Rivera discusses bullying types, confidence-building, and empowering children to respond effectively.
Cyberbullying – Dean College student podcast
College students produce episodes on cyberbullying awareness, prevention, and peer impact from a youth perspective.
Teaching Kids How to Handle Bullying – Phil in the Blanks
Dr. Phil episode offering strategies for empowering children, fostering unity, and navigating personal empowerment in bullying situations.
Cyberbullying and Youth Mental Health – Convos from the Couch (LifeStance Health)
Mental health professionals detail how cyberbullying disrupts sleep, self-esteem, and identity in teens, offering coping strategies for parents and youth.
JoCo on the Go – Youth Bullying & Suicide Prevention
Johnson County Mental Health hosts discuss youth bullying, suicide prevention tactics, and community support resources.
Using AI to Stand Up to Bullying
ReThink App – Stops Cyberbullying Before It Happens
AI-powered keyboard app that detects hurtful messages before they’re sent, giving teens a chance to rethink their words.
Google’s Be Internet Awesome – AI Literacy for Online Kindness
Interactive lessons teach kids how AI helps detect harmful behavior and how to act responsibly online.
Cyberbullying Research Center – AI Tools for Detection & Response
Offers guides for teens and educators on how AI is used to flag bullying, plus best practices for digital citizenship.
AgentPeerTalk – Real-Time AI Guide for Peer Conflicts
Experimental AI project helping teens distinguish between joking, teasing, and bullying using natural language processing.
#BeKind Online Challenge (with AI Filter Tools)
Campaigns using Instagram/TikTok filters powered by AI to encourage kind messaging and detect hate speech trends.
Gaggle – AI & Human Review of Harmful School Content
Teens in districts with Gaggle monitoring can learn how AI identifies harmful messages and how to speak up about false positives.
IBM Watson AI Fairness Lessons for Teens
Students can experiment with how AI classifies bullying language and explore the ethics of bias in algorithms.
Common Sense Education – AI & Digital Citizenship Curriculum
Includes student-friendly videos and activities showing how platforms use AI to flag toxic content, and how teens can take action.