bullying
Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.
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
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
reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes: Leaving someone out on purpose
Telling other children not to be friends with someone Spreading rumors about someone
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
Physical bullying includes:
Hitting/kicking/pinching
Spitting
Tripping/pushing
Taking or breaking
someone’s things
Making mean or rude hand gestures
Where and When Bullying Happens
Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the Internet.
Why Some Youth Bully
Children and teenagers who feel secure and supported by their family, school, and peers are less likely to bully. However, some youth do not have these types of support. Every individual is unique and there are many factors that can contribute to bullying behavior. A youth who bullies may experience one, several, or none of these contributing factors.
Peer factors
Some youth bully:to attain or maintain social power or to elevate their status in their peer group.
to show their allegiance to and fit in with their peer group. to exclude others from their peer group, to show who is and is not part of the group.
to control the behavior of their peers.
Family factors
Some youth who bully:come from families where there is bullying, aggression, or violence at home.
may have parents and caregivers that do not provide emotional support or communication.
may have parents or caregivers who respond in an authoritarian or reactive way.
may come from families where the adults are overly lenient or where there is low parental involvement in their lives.
Emotional factors
Some youth who bully:may have been bullied in the past or currently.
have feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem, so they bully to make themselves feel more powerful. do not understand other’s emotions.
don’t know how to control their emotions, so they take out their feelings on other people.
may not have skills for handling social situations in healthy, positive ways.
School factors
Some youth who bully:may be in schools where conduct problems and bullying are not properly addressed.
may experience being excluded, not accepted, or stigmatized at school.
Every youth involved in bullying – as a target, a bystander, or as one who does the bullying – can benefit from adult, school, and community support. Youth who bully may also need support to help them address their behavior. Parents, school counselors, teachers, and mental health professionals can work with youth who bully to help them develop healthy school and peer connections and to learn new social and emotional skills. If you have bullied your peers, reach out to a trusted adult for help. Bullying is a behavior that can be changed.
Previous
Next
how can
you help?
