Bullying is repeated, intentional behavior that demeans, threatens and/or physically harms someone with words or actions. It is done with the goal of establishing power and control over the person being bullied. Those who bully do not need to be stronger or bigger than those they target. The imbalances can be based on any real or perceived power advantage – popularity, socio-economic status or sexual orientation, for example. Bullying behaviors can be physical, verbal, emotional or a combination of these. As the use of technology such as cell phones and social media websites has become part of our daily means to socialize and communicate, cyber bullying – bullying that takes place using electronic technology – has also become a potent means of hurting others.
Bullying is not “just having fun.”
The effects of bullying on those who are targeted can be real and long lasting. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, youth who are bullied are more likely to avoid school, have lower academic achievement, have depressive symptoms and have high levels of suicidal thoughts.
Those who bully are also impacted by their beliefs and behaviors. They are more likely to get into fights, drop out of school and, as adults, have criminal convictions and be abusive toward their romantic partners and children.
Youth who engage in bullying behaviors and get away with it come to believe that “might makes right” and gain a sense of permission to harm others. Youth that have been harmed in this way learn to be silent, suffering with the harm.
What can we do to address bullying? Intervention efforts begin with awareness and recognition of the serious impact of bullying behaviors, actions we may have once dismissed as “kids being kids.”
Prevention of bullying involves taking pro-social action in all arenas that touch youths’ lives at school, in community programs, and in our families. It involves creating a social climate that does not tolerate the oppression of others. As adults, we can start positive efforts today by having conversations about bullying, and by modeling respectful and equality-based relationships in our own lives.
For more information or for help concerning bullying, domestic and sexual violence issues, contact A New Hope Center at (607) 687-6866.
