What is Bullying?

Bullying occurs when one person with more power (or who is perceived to have more power) INTENTIONALLY takes negative actions against another person REPEATEDLY OVER TIME.

1. INTENTIONAL: Bullying is not accidental—it is done deliberately, purposefully to another person.
2. REPEATEDLY OVER TIME: Bullying is not a “one time” event—it is repeated over time. The Bully demonstrates a pattern of behavior against a target/victim. This pattern of negative actions can include one or many types of bullying behaviors.

Target/Victim

The target/victim is the person who is bullied/has the negative actions done to him/her. The target/victim does not believe that she/he can defend him/herself against the bully.

Power or Perceived Power

Sometimes a person has power over another due to physical stature, position, money or financial position, or some other type of status, (like an employer over an employee, a parent over a child, an older student over a younger student, etc.)

Perceived power is based on the perceptions or believed observations of the people involved. The person being bullied (victim/target) believes a bully has power over him/her. Some examples of perceived power are:

• Husband over wife
• Older sibling over younger sibling
• Employee with seniority over another, newer employee
• 8th grader over a 6th grader
• A boy over a girl
• A teacher over a student

Negative Actions Against Another

Bullying, or “Peer Abuse” takes many forms. Here are some examples:

• verbal (rumors, lies, criticism, threats, harassment, etc.)
• physical (hitting, pushing, shoving, gestures, spitting, etc.)
• mental (teasing, taunting, staring/glaring [“mean mugging”]
• emotional (put downs, threats, etc.)
• social, (ignoring someone, exclusion, shunning, etc.)
• sexual (sexual comments, date rape, rape, sexual abuse, etc.)
• virtual (cyberbullying—bullying by text messages, emails, websites)
  

What is Bullying?

What can I do?

Information for Parents

Information for Students

Information for Schools

Adult to Adult Bullying

Cyberbullying

Resources