What exactly constitutes bullying? It is not quite the same as harassment or assault. It tends to involve many small incidents that accumulate over time rather than a single incident or a few of them. Psychologist Dan Olweus, a pioneer in the systematic study of bullying, identifies common elements of this behavior, such as deliberate aggressiveness and a marked inequality in terms of power.

Perhaps no single definition covers all aspects of bullying, but it has been called “a wilful, conscious desire to hurt another and put him/her under stress.” The stress is created not only by what actually happens but also by fear of what might happen. Tactics may include harsh teasing, constant criticism, insults, gossip, and unreasonable demands.​—See the box on page 4.

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Types of Bullies

◼ Physical Bullies: These are the easiest to identify. They act out their anger by hitting, shoving, or kicking their chosen target​—or by damaging their victim’s property.

◼ Verbal Bullies: They use words to hurt and humiliate their target, through either name-calling, insults, or persistent, harsh teasing.

◼ Relationship Bullies: They spread nasty rumors about their target. This behavior is predominantly adopted by female bullies.

◼ Reactive Victims: These are victims of bullying who turn into bullies themselves. Of course, their having been victims of bullying does not excuse their conduct; it only helps to explain it.

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Source: Take Action Against Bullying, by Gesele Lajoie, Alyson McLellan, and Cindi Seddon