Bullying Description

Bullying can be described as aggressive behaviors toward others that are unwanted, repeated, and that can result in physical injury, social and emotional distress, illnesses, self-harm, high stress, and even death. Bullying behaviors are intentional and repeated attempts to cause another person to experience discomfort, fear, or injury. Due to their need to control and to feel powerful, perpetrators try to threaten and intimidate weaker individuals with the goal of humiliating them. Bullying behaviors can be overt or covert, witnessed or clandestine, identified or anonymous, so subtle that they pass unnoticed or dramatically staged. Perpetrators may bully in person or through electronics and social media. They may target others because of their appearance, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, politics, perceived wealth or poverty, disability or mental disorder, or due to envy and jealousy. Typically, there is a perceived imbalance of power, but not always. If manipulation is present, the bullying behaviors are considered abusive.