"Bullying is a common experience for many children and adolescents," the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) reported in March. "Surveys indicate that as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years, and at least 10% are bullied on a regular basis."

The White House estimated earlier this year that a third of the nation’s schoolchildren, about 13 million, have been subjected to bullying. 

 The website, www.bullyingstatistics.org, defines child bullying as "a form of intimidation or domination toward someone who is perceived as being weaker. It is a way of getting what one wants through some sort of coercion or force. It is also a way for someone to establish some sort of perceived superiority over another person."

Besides the common physical form of bullying, the website explains, there also is verbal and emotional bullying. "And, with the rise of the Internet, there are now instances of children being bullied online through email, chat rooms and on Facebook," according to the site.

Schools around the country have become acutely sensitive to bullies on their campuses in recent years and are implementing stricter bullying rules. Parent groups and numerous organizations offering information and solutions have sprung up in response to the rise in bullying. Even the president of the United States weighed in on the issue, not only because of the growing concern, but because of his own experience with bullying.