What is Bullying?

Bullying is when one or more individuals pick on another person repeatedly. There are three types of bullying: physical, verbal, and emotional bullying.

Physical bullying is the most obvious type of bullying. This type of bullying includes hitting or kicking the victim, or taking and/or damaging the victim's property. Physical bullies are usually known to an entire school population.

Verbal bullies use words to hurt or humiliate another person. This type of bullying is the easiest to inflict on others as it is quick and to the point and doesn't leave any visible scars. Verbal bullying includes name-calling, insulting, making racist comments, and constant teasing. Sometimes these bullies don't even know they are bullying someone.

Emotional bullying is most common in girls, but boys are known to use it as well. Emotional bullying involves anything that causes another person any emotional pain. Isolating someone, shunning peers and excluding them from games and other activities, lunchroom chatter, and spreading lies and rumors about another person.

There are a number of reasons people bully others. The main ones are:

• For power

• They may have low self-esteem

• They may be angry

• They've been bullied

• They may have no true friends and feel lonely

• They're seeking attention

• They don't care about anyone's feelings

• They think it's funny to get reactions