Bullying

What is bullying?

Bullying is a form of youth violence. The CDC defines bullying as any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners, that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on a targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.

As a form of violence, bullying can include aggression that is physical (hitting, tripping), verbal (name calling, teasing), or relational/social (spreading rumors, exclusion from a group). Bullying can also occur through the use of technology, which is called electronic bullying or cyber bullying. A young person can be a perpetrator, victim, or both of bullying, which can be referred to as a “bully/victim”.