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. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally.bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in a certain way to gain power over another person.

Bullying occurs when a person is: ‘exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons’. He says negative actions occur ‘when a person intentionally inflicts injury or discomfort upon another person, through physical contact, through words or in other ways.’

Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse-emotional, verbal, and physical. Bullying can be classified into two categories: direct bullying, and indirect bullying.

Bullying can happen anywhere, but depending on the environment, some groups may be at an increased risk. Learn what factors increase the risk of children being bullied or children more likely to bully others and what warning signs can indicate that bullying may be happening.We can also find out how bullying can negatively impact kids.

No single factor puts a child at risk of being bullied or bullying others. Bullying can happen anywhere–cities, suburbs, or rural towns.Youth, youth with disabilities, and socially isolated youth–may be at an increased risk of being bullied.

Schools and communities that respect diversity can help protect children against bullying behavior. However, when children perceived as different are not in supportive environments, they may be at a higher risk of being bullied. When working with kids from different groups–including youth and youth with disabilities or special health care needs–there are specific things you can do to prevent and address bullying.

Those who have been the targets of bullying can suffer from long term emotional and behavioral problems. Bullying can cause loneliness, depression, anxiety, lead to low self-esteem and increased susceptibility to illness.Bullying has also been shown to cause maladjustment in young children and victims of bullying who were also bullies themselves exhibit even greater social difficulties. In the long term it can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder and an inability to form relationships.Bullying also increases the risk of suicide.

Respond to Bullying

• Stop Bullying on the Spot
• Support the Kids Involved
• Be More Than a Bystander

Prevent Bullying

Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.