The relationship of being bullied and making a school threat has been and continues to be studied.

Amanda Nickerson, professor of psychology and director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and avoidance of social situations. She adds that a U.S. Secret Service report on averted school attacks and actual school shootings shows there is a relationship between posing a threat and having a history of being bullied. One report says half of kids in averted school shootings had been bullied, and an earlier report of actual school shootings says 71% of those had a history of feeling bullied or persecuted.

“We have to take bullying seriously for many, many reasons," Nickerson said. "This is only one of them, but yes, this can have very, very damaging effects. Is it any sort of excuse or read for making a thread or engaging in violence? No, I mean we definitely still need to intervene with this issue.”

She went on to say the hope is always that bullying is being prevented in the first place.