Bullying
What is Bullying?
Bullying is a form of unwanted, aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person discomfort, harm or injury. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words or more subtle actions. There is also a real or perceived imbalance of powers between the bully and the victim.
The bullied individual typically has trouble defending him or herself and does nothing to “cause” the bullying. (APA)
Videos
Cyberbullying
How to Stop a Bully
The Impact of Bullying
Effects of Bullying
Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern.
Kids Who are Bullied
Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:
Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.
Health complaints
Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.
A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.
Kids Who Bully Others
Kids who bully others can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into adulthood. Kids who bully are more likely to:
Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults
Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
Engage in early sexual activity
Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults
Bystanders
Kids who witness bullying are more likely to:
Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs
Have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
Miss or skip school
The Relationship between Bullying and Suicide
Media reports often link bullying with suicide. However, most youth who are bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal behaviors.
Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause. Many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home, and trauma history. Additionally, specific groups have an increased risk of suicide, including American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. This risk can be increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers, and schools. Bullying can make an unsupportive situation worse.
Becoming an Upstander for Others
How to become an upstander
Take action by telling the bully to stop
Take action by getting others to stand up with them to the bully
Take action by helping the victim
Take action by shifting the focus and redirecting the bully away from the victim
Take action by telling an adult who can help
Qualities of an upstander
Courageous - Telling a friend who is bullying to stop is hard. They may be mad at you. But at least you won't feel guilt for being silent and allowing the bullying to continue. And you will be doing your friend a huge favor in the end by helping them stop really hurtful behavior.
Action-oriented - Doing something that does not support the bullying behavior can be a really small intervention with big results! Three words - "That is bullying" - can cause others to recognize the problem.
Assertive - Telling a friend how their behavior makes you feel and how it affects others requires being able to use your voice.
Compassionate - Upstanders have the gift of compassion. They recognize when someone is hurt and take steps to help.
Leader - Upstanders are leaders in their social group, helping others to recognize ways to get along and be supportive to others. (togetheragainstbullying.org)
