Confirmed: Being popular in school also means you're more likely to be bullied

The findings were applicable to both boys and girls, but popular girls were more likely to be victimized—especially those who were dating. Girl-on-girl aggression was the most common, followed by boy-on-boy aggression. The study also found that boys pick on girls more often than girls pick on boys.

It’s not uncommon for teenagers to jockey for social position—and in doing so to use the age-old strategy of knocking others down the ladder as they attempt to make their way up. For teens in the middle of their school’s social hierarchy—the 50th percentile—moving up the social ladder to the 95th percentile increased their chances of being bullied by 25%.

“The climb to the top of the social ladder can be painful,” Faris says.