What is bullying?

Learning to understand and manage conflict is an important part of growing up. Bullying is not simply a 'falling out'. Research shows that experiencing bullying can have a significant impact on a child's life well into adulthood. To ensure we are able to prevent bullying, act quickly when it takes place and avoid misidentifying bullying, it is vital that school, parents and pupils have a shared definition of bullying.

Anti-Bullying Alliance – Definition of bullying

“The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online.”

There are four key elements to this definition:

• hurtful
• repetition
• power imbalance
• intentional

Bullying behaviour can be:

• Physical – pushing, poking, kicking, hitting, biting, pinching etc.
• Verbal  - name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, threats, teasing, belittling.
• Emotional – isolating others, tormenting, hiding books, threatening gestures,  ridicule, humiliation, intimidating, excluding, manipulation and coercion.
• Sexual – unwanted physical contact, inappropriate touching, abusive comments, homophobic abuse, exposure to inappropriate films etc.
• Online /cyber – posting on social media, sharing photos, sending nasty text messages, social exclusion
• Indirect - Can include the exploitation of individuals.

Bullying as a group behaviour

Evidence and research have shown that bullying tends to be a group behaviour, with several different roles that can be involved. In fact, bullying rarely takes place between a 'victim' and a 'bully' alone: it tends to be a group behaviour. Others can have a significant influence on the outcomes of behaviours among children and young people, intentionally or otherwise.

• Ringleader – Initiating and leading the bullying but not always the person ‘doing’ the bullying.
• Target – The person at whom the bullying is aimed.
• Assistant – Actively involved in ‘doing’ the bullying but not leading it
• Reinforcer – Supports the bullying, might laugh or encourage other people to ‘collude’
• Defender – Stands up for someone being bullied. Knows that bullying is wrong and feels confident enough to do something about it. This might involve talking to an adult.
• Outsider/Bystander – Ignores any bullying and doesn’t want to get involved.

These roles are constantly shifting depending on who is present and the dynamics in the group.

Watch this short video to find out more.