New research published today by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has found that children who were bullied between the ages of 8 and 12 were on average one and a half times more likely to carry a weapon at the age of 15 than children who were not involved in bullying. It is the first UK study to identify an association between childhood bullying and later weapon carrying. 

Importantly, this association remained even after researchers accounted for differences in children’s backgrounds, including family circumstances, financial hardship, earlier behavioural difficulties and neighbourhood deprivation. This suggests the link may not simply be explained by the wider disadvantages some bullied children experience. 

Bullying affects an estimated 1.5 million 10-15-year-olds in England and Wales each year. While its impact on children’s wellbeing is well recognised, this study points to consequences that may extend beyond childhood. The findings strengthen the case for intervening early with those involved in bullying — not only to improve the wellbeing of children impacted, but also as part of efforts to prevent weapon carrying and violence. 

Being bullied was linked to weapon carrying, not later violence 

While being bullied was associated with later weapon carrying, researchers found no association with later involvement in violence (as measured through self-reported behaviour at age 17-18 and police-recorded crime, up to age 24) after accounting for background factors.  

The findings do not mean that all children who are bullied will go on to carry a weapon. But for those who do, the pattern points to a desire to feel safer rather than an intention to harm others. Previous YEF research supports this, finding that 47% of 13- to 17-year-olds who carried a weapon said they did so to protect themselves. But carrying a weapon can have serious consequences: other YEF research has found that children who carry weapons are 12 times more likely to become victims of serious violence. 

Bullying others was linked to later violence 

Unlike children who were bullied, children who bullied others were more likely to both carry a weapon and go on to be involved in violence. Compared to children not involved in bullying, they were more than twice as likely to carry a weapon at the age of 15, twice as likely to report violent behaviour at age 17-18, and around one and a half times more likely to have a police record for a violent offence, even after accounting for family and neighbourhood factors. 

A particularly strong association was found among children who engaged in physical bullying, such as hitting or beating up their peers. They were nearly three times more likely to report violent behaviour and more than twice as likely to have a police record for a violent offence. This suggests that physical bullying could be an important early sign for schools and services to identify children who may benefit from targeted support. 

Persistence also mattered. Children who bullied others at all three ages studied (8, 10 and 12) were almost three times as likely to have a police record for violence as children who had never bullied others. By comparison, those who bullied at just one age were around one and a half times as likely.  

Why tackling bullying early matters 

The YEF recommends schools use evidence-based strategies to prevent and address bullying. This includes training staff on how to identify and respond appropriately to bullying, consulting children to understand the causes of bullying in their settings and incorporating an anti-bullying strategy into their whole-school behaviour policy. 

The findings reinforce the value of identifying and supporting children involved in bullying early, particularly those who bully others repeatedly across childhood, given the stronger associations with later violence identified in this study. Approaches such as social and emotional learning can help children develop the skills to understand and manage their behaviour and relationships with others. 

Jeremy Miles, CEO at YEF, said: “This is the first UK evidence that being bullied as a child is associated with carrying a weapon years later. The findings reinforce why it’s so important to tackle bullying early and make sure schools have access to evidence-based approaches that can give children the support they need.” 

Dr Alison Teyhan, Research Fellow at the University of Bristol and Principal Investigator for the study, said: “Our study, which used data from the Children of the 90s study, highlights the importance of viewing bullying as a serious public health concern with long-term consequences. Preventing and addressing bullying in childhood, particularly persistent and physical forms of bullying, is not only crucial for children’s immediate wellbeing, but may also be an important part of wider efforts to prevent later involvement in violence-related behaviours.”  

Iain Brennan, Professor of Criminology at the University of Hull, said: “Young people who carry weapons often do so because they do not feel safe. Whether bullied or bullying, carrying a weapon increases vulnerability to further violence which is often unplanned and unpredicted, school suspension or exclusion and involvement with the criminal justice system. Effectively addressing bullying may significantly limit life-long harm.  

“This research draws on the experience of those growing up in the 90s and mid-2000s, but the nature of bullying has changed a lot in the two decades since. With near-constant communication via social media, what was largely limited to the school grounds is now harder to escape, can be longer-lasting and more difficult for parents and teachers to detect.   

“Whilst we do not yet know what the long-term impact of these changes will be for our children, constant access to the internet makes bullying arguably more persistent and pervasive, with potential implications for the safety of children and others in their homes and their communities, as well as at school.”   

Sarah Wayman, Head of Anti-Bullying Alliance at National Children’s Bureau, said: ”At the Anti-Bullying Alliance, we know that bullying can have profound and lasting consequences. YEF’s latest report is a sobering reminder of how the impact of bullying can extend well beyond childhood. 

  “This is why it is so essential that professionals working with children and young people – in the education, health and social care systems – have the skills and support to identify bullying early, respond promptly, effectively and sensitively, and build inclusive environments. Through this, we can give all children and young people the opportunity to feel safe, valued and able to thrive.” 

About the study 

The independent study was carried out by researchers at the University of Bristol and the University of Hull. They analysed data from nearly 10,000 children followed from birth through the Children of the 90s Study (also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children), linking survey responses with education and de-identified police records. The study examined bullying that occurred at school or on the journey to and from school, including threats or blackmail, name-calling, spreading rumours, and physical bullying such as hitting or beating others.  

Study limitations 

The study identifies associations between childhood bullying, weapon carrying and later violence, but it cannot establish that bullying directly causes these outcomes. While the associations remained after researchers adjusted for a wide range of factors, other explanations cannot be ruled out.  

There are some other considerations when interpreting the study’s findings: 

• The children studied lived in and around Bristol, and their experiences of bullying were recorded in the late 1990s to mid-2000s, meaning the findings may not fully reflect children’s experiences today.  
• The study does not capture more recent forms of bullying, such as cyberbullying, which may relate to later outcomes differently.  
• Only 5% of the study sample were from ethnic minority backgrounds, reflecting the population of the study area at the time children were recruited, and meaning researchers were unable to analyse whether findings differed by ethnicity. 

Download the report 

The full report is available to download here: Association between bullying victimisation, perpetration and violent crime (September 2026)