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Bullying
Bullying is a form of abuse. It involves repeated acts over time attempting to create or enforce one person’s (or group’s) power over another person (or group) , thus an “imbalance of power”.[2] The “imbalance of power” may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a target. Bullying types of behavior are often rooted in a would-be bully’s inability to empathize with those whom he or she would target.
Bullying can be:
- Physical, such as hitting, kicking, or pushing; stealing, hiding, or ruining others’ belongings; or making someone do things against his or her will
- Verbal, such as name calling, teasing, or insulting; threatening someone with physical harm; or spreading rumors or untruths
- Relational, such as refusal to talk to someone; making someone feel left out or rejected; or encouraging others to bully in some way
Cyber bullying, also called “electronic aggression,” has also increased with the rise in use of the Internet, e-mail, mobile devices, and social media sites. Unlike more traditional bullying, cyber bullying can be more anonymous and nearly constant. When checking e-mail, checking Facebook or other social network site, or even using a mobile phone, day or night, a person can be cyber bullied.
In August 2010, policy makers, researchers, educators, corporate leaders, and others met in Washington, D.C., for the first-ever Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education. Summit sponsors and participants, including researchers from and supported by the NICHD, pledged their commitment to working together to draft a national strategy to reduce and stop bullying. In his opening remarks, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made clear that dealing with bullying—and the related issues of ensuring students feel safe and have a school free of disruption—is fundamental to education.
“Bullying is very much an education priority that goes to the heart of school performance and school culture,” he said. “Schools can have an enormous impact on reducing bullying. Ideally, all schools should have a code of conduct that sends a message to the students, staff, and community that it has high expectations for them and little tolerance for cruelty and disrespect.”
CNN Justice
