Definition of bullying
Bullying is difficult to define precisely, as people differ in their views of what is, and what isn’t, bullying.
Bullying is:
Bullying is:
- unprovoked, hurtful, aggressive and repeated behaviour that aims to embarrass, threaten or intimidate
- carried out by perpetrators who are more powerful (either in reality or perception) than their targets, who are usually not able to effectively resist.
- Face to face bullying is fairly straightforward and may include kicking, hitting and shoving, or overt verbal acts such as threats, name-calling and insults.
- Covert bullying is more subtle, typically non-physical and often occurs out of sight of others. Covert bullying includes hand gestures, threatening looks, whispering, gossiping, excluding, blackmailing, spreading rumours, threatening, and stealing friends.
- Cyberbullying differs from offline bullying in that the perpetrators can more easily remain anonymous, content can reach a large audience, and material can be difficult to remove.
What bullying isn't
Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include:
• mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance)
• not liking someone or a single act of social rejection
• one-off acts of meanness or spite
• isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence.
• mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance)
• not liking someone or a single act of social rejection
• one-off acts of meanness or spite
• isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence.
Bullying is damaging
There are short-term and long-term psychological and social consequences of bullying for bullies, their targets, and witnesses.
Bullying can cause the following:
There is no simple explanation for bullying. It emerges from a complex interaction of social, personal and psychological circumstances. Bullies may feel disdain for their targets, find bullying others enjoyable, feel strong and in control when bullying others, and believe that bullying others will make them popular. Bullying behaviour can also occur because of distrust, fear, misunderstandings and lack of knowledge or jealousy.
Bullying can cause the following:
- feeling unsafe at school
- increased likelihood of depression and suicidal thoughts (especially students who are bullied)
- lower levels of academic achievement
- negative attitudes towards school
- high levels of absenteeism
- alcohol and substance abuse.
There is no simple explanation for bullying. It emerges from a complex interaction of social, personal and psychological circumstances. Bullies may feel disdain for their targets, find bullying others enjoyable, feel strong and in control when bullying others, and believe that bullying others will make them popular. Bullying behaviour can also occur because of distrust, fear, misunderstandings and lack of knowledge or jealousy.
Why do people bully?
Characteristics of students who are more likely to bully others include:
• Feel disconnected from school and dislike school.
• Demonstrate low levels of moral reasoning and high levels of egocentric reasoning.
• Believe that the use of aggression is an acceptable way to achieve their own goals.
• Show more emotional instability.
• Have reasonable levels of peer acceptance and social status but are more disliked than non-bullying peers.
• Associate with other aggressive and anti-social peers.
• Have high self esteem and an inflated view of themselves.
• Have lower levels of empathy than other students.
• Have poor impulse control and poor anger management skills.
• Feel less confident about using non-violent strategies to resolve conflict.
When students are supported to develop respectful peer and adult relationships, respect and embrace diversity, and understand their own feelings and needs as well as those of others, the risk of conflict and relationship problems escalating into bullying behaviour is reduced.
• Feel disconnected from school and dislike school.
• Demonstrate low levels of moral reasoning and high levels of egocentric reasoning.
• Believe that the use of aggression is an acceptable way to achieve their own goals.
• Show more emotional instability.
• Have reasonable levels of peer acceptance and social status but are more disliked than non-bullying peers.
• Associate with other aggressive and anti-social peers.
• Have high self esteem and an inflated view of themselves.
• Have lower levels of empathy than other students.
• Have poor impulse control and poor anger management skills.
• Feel less confident about using non-violent strategies to resolve conflict.
When students are supported to develop respectful peer and adult relationships, respect and embrace diversity, and understand their own feelings and needs as well as those of others, the risk of conflict and relationship problems escalating into bullying behaviour is reduced.
Dealing with bullying at school
- The traditional disciplinary approach – applying punishments to students who break school rules on bullying.
- Strengthening the victim – providing strategies that help the target to stand up to the bully.
- Mediation – the ‘bully’ and ‘victim’ agree to seek help from a teacher or trained peer mediator, to resolve the issue that is causing the conflict.
- Restorative Practice – designed to restore damaged relationships between individuals or groups through an apology or other compensatory action.
- The Support Group Method – workshopping the bullying problem and solutions with the bully and a small number of peers considered helpful in bring a positive outcome.
- The Method of Shared Concern – negotiating a successful solution through mediated meetings with bullies and their targets
What can you do as a parent?
Parents have a significant role in influencing their children and modelling positive behaviours.
Parents can help teach social and emotional skills that promote healthy relationships.
Parents can help teach social and emotional skills that promote healthy relationships.