Bullying

Bullying refers to aggressive behavior intended to harm the physical well-being of the victim or to create a feeling of fear and intimidation. Bullying includes physical assaults, physical intimidation, psychological intimidation, name-calling, teasing, social isolation, and exclusion. Two characteristics distinguish bullying from other forms of aggressive behavior. The first is the repetitive and prolonged nature of the bullying act; hence, not all name-calling is a form of bullying. Many students experience verbal insults by their peers, but the name-calling does not rise to the level of bullying until the student experiences it [Page 98]regularly over a period of time. The second characteristic that distinguishes bullying from other forms of aggressive behavior is the status inequality between bully and victim. In comparison, the victim is physically, psychologically, and socially more vulnerable, which allows the bully to engage in the behavior with little concern for reprisals or other consequences. For example, physical assaults might be classified as acts of bullying if the victims were selected because they lacked the resources to defend themselves due to their physical stature, psychological profile, or social skills.

Until the 1970s, the problem of bullying received little attention from educators, researchers, or the general public. Bullying behavior was viewed as almost a rite of passage that most young people experience at some point during their childhood, adolescence, or both. Such a perception led to the belief that bullying behavior had no long-term consequences for either the victim or the bully. Today, the research suggests that neither perception is true. Both bullies and their victims are socially and psychologically different from their peers, and there are lasting implications for both. Not only has the traditional view of bullying as a rite of passage undermined our understanding of the causes and consequences of bullying; it may also have supported a “culture of bullying” within our education system.