bullying

In the United States, the definition of bullying has expanded beyond traditional notions of a bigger, stronger child picking on a smaller, weaker victim and typically includes four key elements. The first part of the definition now includes significant physical, emotional, or psychological harm to the victim. The second is the inability of the victim to stop the bully on his or her own. The third is a power imbalance in which the bully holds more emotional, physical, or social influence than the victim. The last is repetitive actions committed by the bully that continue for an extended period. Bullying can occur in virtually any interpersonal setting. While it affects young people as well as adults, the issue is primarily considered in contexts involving school-aged children and adolescents.

Advocacy organizations like PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center note that definitions of the term vary according to the educational and legal institutions that deal with the majority of bullying cases. Exceptions to the four elements may occur; for example, if a harmful behavior is severe enough, it may be defined as bullying even if it only occurs on one occasion.

Antibullying advocates divide bullying behavior into four main types:

Physical bullying: Bullies physically assault their victims or intimidate their victims with the threat of physical violence.

Verbal bullying: Bullies mock, shame, and verbally abuse victims with the intent of causing fear or feelings of self-deprecation.

Social or emotional bullying: Bullies initiate or spread harmful gossip, or intentionally exclude others with the intent of harming or destroying the victim's reputation or social standing.

Cyberbullying: Bullies use electronic media, including social networks, instant messaging, text messaging, Internet forums, smartphone applications, and email (among other media) to target victims with text-based equivalents of verbal bullying, or social or emotional forms of bullying.

As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2018, bullying is a common phenomenon in US schools. According to the report, one in five high school students reported being bullied on school grounds in the twelve-month period prior to being surveyed. Victimization rates are higher for female students (22 percent) than male students (16 percent). A 2018 report from the National Center for Education Statistics found higher victimization rates among middle school students (30 percent of sixth graders and 25 percent of eighth graders) than older students (15 percent of eleventh graders and 12 percent of twelfth graders). Differences were also noted among students in urban and nonurban environments, with 18 percent of students at urban schools, 20 percent of students at suburban schools, and 27 percent of students at rural schools reporting being bullied. Among racial and ethnic groups, 27 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native students, 23 percent of students of two or more races, 23 percent of black students, 23 percent of white students, 16 percent of Hispanic students, and 7 percent of Asian students reported being bullied.

Bullies, Victims, and Bully-Victims

A meta-analysis of bullying research performed by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, and the University of Washington has identified several noteworthy characteristics of bullies as well as victims. Researchers found that bullies tend to struggle academically and have problems resolving interpersonal conflicts. They often come from home environments marked by conflict, violence, low levels of parental investment, or parental absenteeism and have been found to harbor negative feelings about themselves and school environments while being prone to negative peer influences. Age appears to influence bullying behavior in specific ways. Younger bullies tend to defy authority figures, be disruptive in class, and behave aggressively; older bullies display more qualities associated with anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal.