Understanding bullying
Bullying has three key features. It:
- involves a misuse of power in a relationship.
- is ongoing and repeated.
- involves behaviours that can cause harm.
Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. Bullying can be easy to see (overt), or hidden (covert), such as spreading rumours about another person or excluding them.
Bullying can also happen online using technology such as the internet or mobile devices. This is known as online bullying or cyberbullying.
A person can be bullied about many different things such as how they look, sound or speak; their background, religion, race or culture including Aboriginality; having a disability; their sex; because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or intersex also known as LGBTI; their size or body shape or any other ways they may be different.
Some students are bullied about their academic or sporting achievements or hobbies.
What bullying is not
A single incident or disagreement between peers is not bullying. However, these behaviours may lead to bullying and should be resolevd.