Certain characteristics can increase a child's vulnerability to being bullied. These risk factors include being emotionally reactive, as bullies can easily provoke a response from them. Another significant factor is being perceived as different from the peer group, which can be due to being overweight, having cognitive impairments, or belonging to a different racial or ethnic group. Additionally, teenagers who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender face a particularly high risk of being targeted for bullying because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.