In the United States, bullying is one of the 10 most important social problems in schools today (ProQuestStaff) According to the Youth Risk Behavior Monitoring System 2011 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 20% of students in grades 9-12 nationwide are victims of bullying (“WHAT IS BULLYING”). The reasons why people are bullied is because of their appearance and social status (Lyness). Bullying involves showing power over the other individual (ProQuestStaff). Bullying can take many forms, including physical, verbal and cyber. Additionally, it can have a huge effect on the lives of many adolescents. In fact, the most common effects of bullying are health problems such as depression, which can lead to self-harm in the future, such as suicide. Being a victim of bullying can lower academic achievement, such as GPA and test scores (“WHAT IS BULLYING”). Finally, bullying contributes to school violence, such as school shootings and fights. Bullying has an extraordinary effect on society because it causes self-harm, poor academic performance, and school violence. More than four million American children and adolescents suffer from mental health problems caused by bullying. Many experience issues such as sadness, loneliness, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression every day (Lyness). Many of these problems can lead to other problems. For example, a person who has low self-esteem and is bullied because of their appearance may suffer from depression. Another mental problem caused by bullying is suicidal thoughts or actions such as cutting. In the United States, more than 90% of children and adolescents who die by suicide have a mental disorder or problem (Facts on Children's Mental Health in America). Suicide is known as the third leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 24 (Sui.. .... middle of document ......013. Web. December 18, 2013. Downey, Maureen. « Teenagers on violence and bullying: Half of high school students admit to hitting teenagers because of violence » Bullying: Half of high school students admit... The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 4, 2013. Web, December 18, 2013. “Facts about Children's Mental Health in America.” NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. 2013. Web, December 19, 2013. ProQuest Staff. " ProQuest LLC. 2013: n.pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. December 20, 2013. " Suicide Prevention " Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 15, 2012. Web, December 19, 2013. “What is Bullying?” StopBullying.gov. December 18. 2013.