Are bullying and harassment the same thing?

What is bullying?

According to the American Psychological Association, bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. It can be physical contact, verbal communication, or forms of distress to the individual.  There are three criteria given to bullying, which are as follows.  1.  Hostile intent 2.  Imbalance of power 3. Repetition over a period of time. Bullying can occur anywhere but is most common in school settings, work, or even at home; it has also extended into cyberbullying over the internet on social media platforms. 20.2% of students have been bullied, as reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics.  The effects of bullying can lead to anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and dropping out of school. 

What is harassment?

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions, Harassment is unwelcome conduct based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. A Hiscox study finds 1 in 5 employees has been harassed based on their race.  The same study finds 15% are harassed based on religion, and 13% are harassed due to sexual preference.  The effects of harassment can include PTSD, low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

Are bullying and harassment the same thing?

Many use the terms bullying and harassment as the same thing when there is some difference between the two and different protective measures.  Harassment can be a one-time event where bullying is a repeated act.  They are similar because of the imbalance of power and hostile intent. The protective class that covers harassment are race, color, religion, sex, natural origin, age, disability, and genetic information as mentioned above.  Both bullying and harassment cause the victim to feel psychological harm and fear for their lives and have mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.  If the person is being bullied about any of the protective classes, it can also be considered harassment and bullying simultaneously.  In the United States, each of the 50 states has different laws regarding bullying, but the laws for harassment are more universal.