Stopping Students From Teasing at School by Understanding the Bully

Bullying, a form of violence among children, is common on school playgrounds, in neighborhoods, and in homes throughout the United States and around the world. Often occurring out of the presence of adults or in front of adults who fail to intercede, bullying has long been considered an inevitable and, in some ways, uncontrollable part of growing up.

Bullying among children encompasses a variety of negative acts carried out repeatedly over time. It involves a real or perceived imbalance of power, with the more powerful child or group attacking those who are less powerful. Bullying can take three forms: physical; verbal; and psychological spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships, or engaging in social exclusion, extortion, or intimidation.

A perpetrator’s bullying behavior does not exist in isolation. Rather, it may indicate the beginning of a generally antisocial and rule-breaking behavior pattern that can extend into adulthood. Programs to address the problem, therefore, must reduce opportunities and rewards for bullying behavior.

The first step in untangling these myths is to define exactly what bullying is and how it differs from “normal” childhood conflicts. Perhaps the most important distinctions have to do with duration, power, and intent to harm. Bullying, unlike isolated conflicts between individuals, occurs when a student or group of students targets an individual repeatedly over time, using physical or psychological aggression to dominate the victim. The repeated incidents function to create and enforce an imbalance of power between bully and victim.

Among middle and high school students, bullying behavior most frequently involves teasing and social exclusion, but may also include physical violence, threats, theft, sexual and racial harassment, public humiliation, and destruction of the targeted student’s property. Bullying behavior in elementary grades is more likely than in older grades to involve physical aggression, but is characterized by teasing, intimidation, and social exclusion as well.