There are loads of different definitions of what bullying is. Some will describe everything from feelings, effects, consequences and others will describe that bullying is something that is about power and that is done on purpose. During Beatbullying workshops, we always ask you guys what you think bullying is, and below are as many of those definitions and explanations you have given us: bullying can be verbal (using words), non-verbal (without words), physical (using actions), emotional (playing on someone’s emotions) or psychological (messing with someone’s head). Lots of bullying behaviour will be more than one of these things. It can be direct action (like threats, intimidation or physical/verbal violence) or indirect action (like deliberately leaving someone out or blanking them all the time).
- hitting, kicking, punching, spitting;
- threats and intimidation;
- cussing family (“said my mum was a crack head”);
- being bullied because of my religion and my background, my appearance – like the way I have to dress or what I can or cannot eat;
- racist bullying (bullying someone because of where they or their family come from, their skin colour);
- homophobic bullying (using words like ‘gay’, ‘poof’, ‘lesbian’, ‘batty boy’ as insults against a person; physically assaulting someone or leaving someone out because of their real or assumed sexuality);
- ignoring someone, leaving them out of a group;
- being forced to pick on someone as part of a group so I look hard;
- spreading gossip and rumours about a person;
- cyberbullying, e.g. prank calls on mobile, text messages saying "you’re dead" or something nasty like that, hate websites or postings on SNS sites, receiving emails that are upsetting or say things about my family;
- grafitti;
- jacking (stealing) or ruining someone’s work, clothes or property;
- manipulation and control, peer pressure (making someone do something that they don’t want to do or stopping them from doing something that they do want to do);
- sexual harassment or sexual bullying. Being made to feel under pressure to act or look a certain way;
- abuse for standing out from the crowd, looking different or having different tastes and opinions (“they called me emo, goth, chav and freak”);
- making fun of someone or singling them out, because they find certain things difficult (like reading, maths or even sport);
- generally making a person feel bad about himself or herself.
- having a talent or ability can make you a target;
- having a disability or learning difficulty can be the cause of you being singled out.
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