What Bullying Looks Like?

What is Bullying

Bullying may seem like a simple concept to understand. The word often conjures up images of a much larger person pushing another person down on a playground or taunting that person. However, bullying is actually far more complex and can occur in any social setting. Bullying is intimidation, harassment, or aggression of another person through the use of force or threat of force, or manipulation.  Bullying does not have to be physical, but it does involve a power imbalance, whether that be regarding a person’s size, social status, reputation, age, etc. This may take the form of teasing, taking someone’s belongings, or physical violence at school. It can take the form of over-delegating work in the workplace, constantly putting someone down, disrespecting a person’s workspace, and causing a person to work at unanticipated times or for unfair compensation. Bullying is a pattern of behavior, and the person deemed as “weak” (in whatever way this is perceived) is the person who is bullied. Still, ironically, many people who bully others have been bullied themselves. Most bullies have experienced a low level of control themselves and may have experienced humiliation, abuse, or neglect.

What is Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a relatively new concept that has emerged as more and more people spend an increasing amount of time on the Internet, including chat rooms, messaging, and social media. The anonymity allowed by the Internet, coupled with the sense of invisibility that people may feel when in their own home on their private computer, makes some people who may otherwise not bully choose to do so. Again, many bullies have experienced bullying in some fashion themselves. Spreading true or untrue rumors, making insulting comments about a person’s uploaded picture, name-calling, threatening, and harassing can occur online.

How to Identify Who is Bullied

Typically, when bullying occurs, multiple people will be aware that it is happening. Even if someone does not witness the bullying itself, there are signs that a person is being bullied, such as the person appearing depressed, avoiding school or other places where the behaviors are occurring, becoming aggressive themselves, withdrawing and isolating, avoiding social events, having difficulty expressing feelings, neglecting their appearance or becoming preoccupied with their appearance, etc. You must let a person in authority know if you or someone you know is being bullied.