Worse than sticks and stones? Bullying is associated with altered HPA axis functioning and poorer health

► Adolescents (Mage = 12.23 years) collected salivary cortisol on two school days and during an acute social stressor. ► Being peer victimized predicted poor physical health outcomes and a flattened cortisol awakening response. ► The cortisol awakening response mediated the relationship between peer victimization and poor physical health. ► Cortisol levels 30 min after the acute stressor marginally mediated the link between peer victimization and health visits. ► We postulate that the link between peer victimization and physical health is partly due to altered biological functioning.