"A school where children don't feel safe is a school where children struggle to learn. It is a school where kids drop out, tune out, and get depressed. Not just violence but bullying, verbal harassment, substance abuse, cyber-bullying, and disruptive classrooms all interfere with a student's ability to learn." No child makes a sudden decision to leave school. Instead, it's a long progression of often several factors that builds over time, resulting in the eventual decision to drop out. For many, bullying plays a big role in this decision.