Back to top

Bullying

Bullying, also known as peer victimization, is a deliberate and unsolicited action that occurs with the intent of inflicting social, emotional, physical, and/or psychological harm to someone who often is perceived as being less powerful. Bullying typically happens repeatedly and is a form of aggression and harassment that prevents someone from enjoying a safe, stress-free living, learning, or working environment. The harmful effects of bullying may be exacerbated by the frequency, pervasiveness, and severity of the behavior, as well as the power differential between the perpetrator and the target. Bullying can be physical (hitting, tripping, kicking, etc.), verbal (name calling, teasing, taunting, threatening, and sexual comments), and social (spreading rumors, embarrasing someone in public, being purposefully exclusive). Cyberbullying includes sending negative, harmful, and/or false content electronically via text messages or email, as well as posting mean text or hurtful pictures online through social media, blogs, etc.

Effects

Bullying can severely affect a child’s or teen's self-image, social interactions, or school performance, and can lead to mental health problems.