Bullying

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. It includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. Most behaviors that can be categorized as bullying will include:

• An Imbalance of power - Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.

• Repetition - Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.

There are three types of bullying:

• Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes:

  • Teasing

  • Name-calling

  • Inappropriate sexual comments

  • Taunting

  • Threatening to cause harm

• Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes:

  • Leaving someone out on purpose

  • Telling other children not to be friends with someone

  • Spreading rumors about someone

  • Embarrassing someone in public

• Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical bullying includes:

  • Hitting/kicking/pinching

  • Spitting

  • Tripping/pushing

  • Taking or breaking someone’s things

  • Making mean or rude hand gestures

Cyber-Bullying

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

• Prevent Cyber-bullying

• Cyber-bullying

• Effects of bullying

Is My Child Being Bullied?

• Warning Signs

• Recognize the signs

• Dealing with Teen bullying

Is My Child a Bully?

• Children who bully

• My child is bullying others