Bullying is a form of abuse. It is repeated acts over time that involves a real or perceived imbalance of power with the more powerful individual or group abusing those who are less powerful.  The power imbalance may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is often referred to as a target.

What Are the Different Types of Bullying?

There are four main types of Bullying. These include:

1. Physical Bullying involves physical contact that would hurt or injure another person or their property.  Examples include: hitting, kicking, pinching, pushing, punching, scratching, spitting or any other form of physical attack.

2. Verbal Bullying is the most common form of bullying. Examples include: name calling, insulting, teasing, making racist, sexist or homophobic jokes, using sexually suggestive or abusive language, offensive remarks.

3. Emotional Bullying in an indirect form of bullying and is most common among girls. Examples include: isolation, spreading rumors or lies about the target

4. Cyber Bullying is any type of bullying that is carried out by an electronic medium.  Examples include: text messages, picture/video clip, phone calls, E-mail, chat rooms or instant messaging, social networking sites.

Bullying affects more than just one student.  Nearly one in five students in an average classroom is experiencing bullying in some way. The rest of the students, called bystanders, are also affected by the bullying.

Dan Olweus, "Peer Harassment: A Critical Analysis and Some Important Issues," in Peer Harassment in School, ed. J. Juvonen and S. Graham (New York: Guilford Publications, 2001): 3-20.

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:

• Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter

• SMS (Short Message Service) also known as Text Message sent through devices

• Instant Message (via devices, email provider services, apps, and social media messaging features)

• Email

A continuous pattern of intentional behavior that takes place on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored function including, but not limited to, written, electronic, verbal, or physical acts that are reasonably perceived as being motivated by any characteristic of a student, or by the association of a student with an individual who has a particular characteristic, if the characteristic falls into one of the categories of personal characteristics contained in the model policy adopted by the department or by a local board. To constitute harassment, a pattern of behavior may do any of the following: a. Place a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property. b. Have the effect of substantially interfering with the educational performance, opportunities, or benefits of a student. c. Have the effect of substantially disrupting or interfering with the orderly operation of the school. d. Have the effect of creating a hostile environment in the school, on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored function. e. Have the effect of being sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student.