As adolescents climb their school’s social ladder, so does the risk of falling victim to bullying, with greater negative consequences, says a new study published in the American Sociological Review.

Adolescents’ risk of being bullied increased as their popularity rose – and then abruptly plummeted once they reached the pinnacle of their school’s social ladder, the researchers found.

Robert Faris, associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Davis, who conducted the study with Diane Felmlee, professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University, says:

“In contrast to stereotypes of wallflowers as the sole targets of peer aggression, adolescents who are relatively popular are also at high risk of harassment, the invisible victims of school-based aggression.”

US government data on bullying suggest that 20-28% of American schoolchildren have experienced bullying in recent years.