What is Bullying?

Bullying is a relationship problem that requires relationship solutions. Bullying is a form of abuse at the hands of peers that can take different forms at different ages. Bullying is defined as repeated aggression in which there is an imbalance of power between the child who bullies and the child who is victimized (Juvonen & Graham, 2001; Olweus, 1991; Pepler & Craig, 2000).  Through our research, we understand bullying as a disrespectful relationship problem: 

• Children who bully are learning to use power and aggression to control and distress others.
• Children who are victimized become increasingly powerless and find themselves trapped in relationships in which they are being abused.
  

With repeated bullying, the child who bullies increases in power and the victimized child loses power in the relationship. In such a relationship, children who are being bullied become increasingly powerless to defend themselves. Children who repeatedly bully are establishing patterns of using power and aggression in relating to others.

The Many Forms of Bullying

Physical bullying includes behaviours such as: hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, beating up, stealing, or damaging property.

Verbal bullying includes behaviours such as: name-calling, mocking, hurtful teasing, humiliating or threatening someone, racist comments, or sexual harassment.

Social bullying includes behaviours such as: rolling your eyes or turning away from someone, excluding others from the group, gossiping or spreading rumours, setting others up to look foolish, and damaging friendships.

Electronic or Cyberbullying includes the use of email, cell phones, text messages, and internet sites to threaten, harass, embarrass, socially exclude, or damage reputations and friendships.

Racial bullying includes behaviours such as: treating people badly because of their racial or ethic background, saying bad things about a cultural background, calling someone racist names, or
telling racist jokes.

Religious bullying treating people badly because of their religious background or beliefs, saying bad things about a religious background or belief, calling someone names or telling jokes based on his or her religious beliefs.

Sexual bullying includes behaviours such as: leaving someone out or treating them badly because they are a boy or a girl, making someone feel uncomfortable because of their sex, making sexist comments or jokes touching, pinching or grabbing someone in a sexual way, making crude comments about someone’s sexual behaviour, spreading a sexual rumour about someone, or calling someone gay, a fag, a lesbian, or other names like that.

Disability bullying includes behaviours such as: leaving someone out or treating them badly because of a disability, making someone feel uncomfortable because of a disability, or making comments or jokes to hurt someone with a disability.

Bullying and Power

Bullying is a form of aggression used from a position of power. Children acquire power in many ways:

• Advantage in size, age, strength, intelligence, etc.
• Advantage in social status with peers (e.g., more popular, more socially dominant).
• Knowledge of another's vulnerability (e.g., obesity, learning problems, family issues, disabilities) and using that knowledge to cause distress. 
• Membership in a dominant group in society and using that power against members of a less dominant group in the forms of racism, sexism, homophobia, and classicism.
  

Children and youth who are marginalized in our society may be at high risk for victimization, which can lead to involvement in bullying. These children and youth include those who are:

• Racial, ethnic, and religious minorities
• Sexual minorities 
• Economically disadvantaged 
• Children with exceptionalities

Adults responsible for children and youth need to be aware of these power imbalances so they can work to ensure that all children are respected and included.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is a relationship problem that requires relationship solutions. Bullying is a form of abuse at the hands of peers that can take different forms at different ages. Bullying is defined as repeated aggression in which there is an imbalance of power between the child who bullies and the child who is victimized (Juvonen & Graham, 2001; Olweus, 1991; Pepler & Craig, 2000).  Through our research, we understand bullying as a disrespectful relationship problem: 

• Children who bully are learning to use power and aggression to control and distress others.
• Children who are victimized become increasingly powerless and find themselves trapped in relationships in which they are being abused.
  

With repeated bullying, the child who bullies increases in power and the victimized child loses power in the relationship. In such a relationship, children who are being bullied become increasingly powerless to defend themselves. Children who repeatedly bully are establishing patterns of using power and aggression in relating to others.

The Many Forms of Bullying

Physical bullying includes behaviours such as: hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, beating up, stealing, or damaging property.

Verbal bullying includes behaviours such as: name-calling, mocking, hurtful teasing, humiliating or threatening someone, racist comments, or sexual harassment.

Social bullying includes behaviours such as: rolling your eyes or turning away from someone, excluding others from the group, gossiping or spreading rumours, setting others up to look foolish, and damaging friendships.

Electronic or Cyberbullying includes the use of email, cell phones, text messages, and internet sites to threaten, harass, embarrass, socially exclude, or damage reputations and friendships.

Racial bullying includes behaviours such as: treating people badly because of their racial or ethic background, saying bad things about a cultural background, calling someone racist names, or
telling racist jokes.

Religious bullying treating people badly because of their religious background or beliefs, saying bad things about a religious background or belief, calling someone names or telling jokes based on his or her religious beliefs.

Sexual bullying includes behaviours such as: leaving someone out or treating them badly because they are a boy or a girl, making someone feel uncomfortable because of their sex, making sexist comments or jokes touching, pinching or grabbing someone in a sexual way, making crude comments about someone’s sexual behaviour, spreading a sexual rumour about someone, or calling someone gay, a fag, a lesbian, or other names like that.

Disability bullying includes behaviours such as: leaving someone out or treating them badly because of a disability, making someone feel uncomfortable because of a disability, or making comments or jokes to hurt someone with a disability.

Bullying and Power

Bullying is a form of aggression used from a position of power. Children acquire power in many ways:

• Advantage in size, age, strength, intelligence, etc.
• Advantage in social status with peers (e.g., more popular, more socially dominant).
• Knowledge of another's vulnerability (e.g., obesity, learning problems, family issues, disabilities) and using that knowledge to cause distress. 
• Membership in a dominant group in society and using that power against members of a less dominant group in the forms of racism, sexism, homophobia, and classicism.
  

Children and youth who are marginalized in our society may be at high risk for victimization, which can lead to involvement in bullying. These children and youth include those who are:

• Racial, ethnic, and religious minorities
• Sexual minorities 
• Economically disadvantaged 
• Children with exceptionalities

Adults responsible for children and youth need to be aware of these power imbalances so they can work to ensure that all children are respected and included.