"Bully" redirects here. For other uses, see Bully (disambiguation).

For school bullying, see School bullying.

Banner in a campaign against bullying Cefet-MG

Share of children who report being bullied (2015)

Bullying is the use of force, coercion, or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate.

The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by
the bully or by others) of an imbalance of physical or social power. This imbalance
distinguishes bullying from conflict.[1] Bullying is a subcategory of aggressive behavior
characterized by the following three criteria: (1) hostile intent, (2) imbalance of power, and (3)
repetition over a period of time. [2] Bullying is the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior
intended to hurt another individual, physically, mentally, or emotionally.
Bullying ranges from one-on-one, individual bullying through to group bullying, called mobbing,
in which the bully may have one or more "lieutenants" who are willing to assist the primary
 bully in their bullying activities. Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as "peer
abuse".[3] Robert W. Fuller has analyzed bullying in the context of rankism. The Swedish-
Norwegian researcher Dan Olweus says bullying occurs when a person is "exposed,
repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons", [4] and
that negative actions occur "when a person intentionally inflicts injury or discomfort upon
another person, through physical contact, through words or in other ways". [4] Individual bullying
is usually characterized by a person behaving in a certain way to gain power over another
person.[5]
A bullying culture can develop in any context in which humans interact with each other. This
may include school, family, the workplace,[6] the home, and neighborhoods. The main platform
for bullying in contemporary culture is on social media websites. [7] In a 2012 study of male
adolescent American football players, "the strongest predictor [of bullying] was the perception
of whether the most influential male in a player's life would approve of the bullying behavior." [8]
Bullying may be defined in many different ways. In the United Kingdom, there is no legal
definition of bullying,[9] while some states in the United States have laws against it. [10] Bullying is
divided into four basic types of abuse – psychological (sometimes called emotional or
relational), verbal, physical, and cyber.[11]
Behaviors used to assert such domination may include physical assault or coercion,
verbal harassment, or threat, and such acts may be directed repeatedly toward particular
targets. Rationalizations of such behavior sometimes include differences of social class, race,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, behavior, body language, personality,
reputation, lineage, strength, size, or ability. [12][13][14] If bullying is done by a group, it is
called mobbing.[15]

Contents

 1Etymology
 2Types
o 2.1Individual
 2.1.1Physical
 2.1.2Verbal
 2.1.3Relational
 2.1.4Cyberbullying
o 2.2Collective
 2.2.1Mobbing
 3Characteristics
o 3.1Of bullies and accomplices
o 3.2Of typical bystanders
o 3.3Of victims
 4Effects
o 4.1Suicide
o 4.2Positive development
o 4.3Hormonal
 5Dark triad
 6Projection
 7Emotional intelligence
 8Context
o 8.1Cyberbullying
 o 8.2Disability bullying
o 8.3Gay bullying
o 8.4Legal bullying
o 8.5Military bullying
o 8.6Parental bullying of children
o 8.7Prison bullying
o 8.8School bullying (bullying of students in schools)
o 8.9Sexual bullying
o 8.10Trans bullying
o 8.11Workplace bullying
 8.11.1In academia
 8.11.2In blue collar jobs
 8.11.3In information technology
 8.11.4In the legal profession
 8.11.5In medicine
 8.11.6In nursing
 8.11.7In teaching
o 8.12In other areas
o 8.13Machines
 9Prevention
 10Responding to bullying
 11See also
 12References
 13Further reading
 14External links

Etymology
The word "bully" was first used in the 1530s meaning "sweetheart", applied to either sex, from
the Dutch boel "lover, brother", probably diminutive of Middle High German buole "brother", of
uncertain origin (compare with the German buhle "lover"). The meaning deteriorated through
the 17th century through "fine fellow", "blusterer", to "harasser of the weak". This may have
been as a connecting sense between "lover" and "ruffian" as in "protector of a prostitute",
which was one sense of "bully" (though not specifically attested until 1706). The verb "to bully"
is first attested in 1710.[16]
In the past, in American culture, the term has been used differently, as an
exclamation/exhortation, in particular famously associated with Theodore Roosevelt[17] and
continuing to the present in the bully pulpit, Roosevelt's coining and also as faint/deprecating
praise ("bully for him").

Types
Bullying has been classified by the body of literature into different types. These can be in the
form of nonverbal, verbal, or physical behavior. Another classification is based on perpetrators
or the participants involved, so that the types include individual and collective bullying. Other
interpretation also cite emotional and relational bullying in addition to physical harm inflicted
towards another person or even property.[18] There is also the case of the more recent
phenomenon called cyberbullying.
Physical, verbal, and relational bullying are most prevalent in primary school and could also
begin much earlier while continuing into later stages in individuals lives.

Individual
Individual bullying tactics are perpetrated by a single person against a target or targets.
[19]
 Individual bullying can be classified into four types outlined below: [20]
Physical
Physical bullying is any bullying that hurts someone's body or damages their possessions.
Stealing, shoving, hitting, fighting, and intentionally destroying someone's property are types of
physical bullying. Physical bullying is rarely the first form of bullying that a target will
experience. Often bullying will begin in a different form and later progress to physical violence.
In physical bullying the main weapon the bully uses is his/her body, or some part thereof, when
attacking his/her target. Sometimes groups of young adults will target and alienate a peer
because of some adolescent prejudice. This can quickly lead to a situation where they are
being taunted, tortured, and "beaten up" by their classmates. Physical bullying will often
escalate over time, and can lead to a detrimental ending, and therefore many try to stop it
quickly to prevent any further escalation. [21]
Verbal
Verbal bullying is one of the most common types of bullying. This is any bullying that is
conducted by speaking or other use of the voice and does not involve any physical contact.
Verbal bullying includes any of the following:

 Derogatory name-calling and nicknaming
 Spreading rumors or lying about someone
 Threatening someone
 Yelling at or talking to someone in a rude or unkind tone of voice, especially without
justifiable cause
 Mocking someone's voice or style of speaking
 Laughing at someone
 Making insults or otherwise making fun of someone
In verbal bullying, the main weapon the bully uses is voice. In many cases, verbal bullying is
common in both genders, but girls are more likely to perform it. Girls, in general, are more
subtle with insults than boys. Girls use verbal bullying, as well as social exclusion techniques,
to dominate and control other individuals and show their superiority and power. However, there
are also many boys with subtlety enough to use verbal techniques for domination, and who are
practiced in using words when they want to avoid the trouble that can come with physically
bullying someone else.[22]
Relational
Relational bullying or sometimes referred to as social aggression is the type of bullying that
uses relationships to hurt others.[23] The term also denotes any bullying that is done with the
intent to hurt somebody's reputation or social standing which can also link in with the
techniques included in physical and verbal bullying. Relational bullying is a form of bullying
common among youth, but particularly upon girls. Social exclusion (slighting or making
someone feel "left out") is one of the most common types of relational bullying. Relational
bullying can be used as a tool by bullies to both improve their social standing and control
others. Unlike physical bullying which is obvious, relational bullying is not overt and can
continue for a long time without being noticed. [24]
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another
person. When an adult is involved, it may meet the definition of cyber-
harassment or cyberstalking, a crime that can have legal consequences and involve jail time.
[25]
 This includes bullying by use of email, instant messaging, social media websites (such
as Facebook), text messages, and cell phones. It is stated that Cyberbullying is more common
in secondary school than in primary school. [20]

Collective
Collective bullying tactics are employed by more than one individual against a target or targets.
Collective bullying is known as mobbing, and can include any of the individual types of
bullying. Trolling behavior on social media, although generally assumed to be individual in
nature by the casual reader, is sometime organized efforts by sponsored astroturfers.
Mobbing
Main article: Mobbing
Mobbing refers to the bullying of an individual by a group, in any context, such as
a family, peer group, school, workplace, neighborhood, community, or online. When it occurs
as emotional abuse in the workplace, such as "ganging up" by co-
workers, subordinates or superiors, to force someone out of the workplace
through rumor, innuendo, intimidation, humiliation, discrediting, and isolation, it is also referred
to as malicious, nonsexual, nonracial/racial, general harassment.[26]

Characteristics
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Of bullies and accomplices

Studies have shown that envy and resentment may be motives for bullying. [27] Research on the
self-esteem of bullies has produced equivocal results. [28][29] While some bullies are arrogant and
narcissistic,[30] they can also use bullying as a tool to conceal shame or anxiety or to boost self-
esteem: by demeaning others, the abuser feels empowered. [31] Bullies may bully out of jealousy
or because they themselves are bullied.[32] Psychologist Roy Baumeister asserts that people
who are prone to abusive behavior tend to have inflated but fragile egos. Because they think
too highly of themselves, they are frequently offended by the criticisms and lack of deference
of other people, and react to this disrespect with violence and insults. [33][full citation needed]
Researchers have identified other risk factors such as depression [34] and personality disorders,
[35]
 as well as quickness to anger and use of force, addiction to aggressive behaviors, mistaking
others' actions as hostile, concern with preserving self-image, and engaging in obsessive or
rigid actions.[36] A combination of these factors may also be causes of this behavior. [37] In one
study of youth, a combination of antisocial traits and depression was found to be the best
predictor of youth violence, whereas video game violence and television violence exposure
were not predictive of these behaviors.[38]
Bullying may also result from a genetic predisposition or a brain abnormality in the bully.
[39]
 While parents can help a toddler develop emotional regulation and control to restrict
aggressive behavior, some children fail to develop these skills due to insecure attachment with
their families, ineffective discipline, and environmental factors such as a stressful home life and
hostile siblings.[20] Moreover, according to some researchers, bullies may be inclined toward
negativity and perform poorly academically. Dr. Cook says, "A typical bully has trouble
resolving problems with others and also has trouble academically. He or she usually has
negative attitudes and beliefs about others, feels negatively toward himself/herself, comes from
a family environment characterized by conflict and poor parenting, perceives school as
negative and is negatively influenced by peers."[40]
Contrarily, some researchers have suggested that some bullies are psychologically strongest
and have high social standing among their peers, while their targets are emotionally distressed
and socially marginalized.[41] Peer groups often promote the bully's actions, and members of
these peer groups also engage in behaviors, such as mocking, excluding, punching, and
insulting one another as a source of entertainment. [20] Other researchers also argued that a
minority of the bullies, those who are not in-turn bullied, enjoy going to school, and are least
likely to take days off sick.[42]
Research indicates that adults who bully have authoritarian personalities, combined with a
strong need to control or dominate. [43] It has also been suggested that a prejudicial view of
subordinates can be a particularly strong risk factor. [44]
Brain studies have shown that the section of the brain associated with reward becomes active
when bullies are shown a video of someone inflecting pain on another. [45]

Of typical bystanders
Often, bullying takes place in the presence of a large group of relatively uninvolved bystanders.
In many cases, it is the bully's ability to create the illusion they have the support of the majority
present that instills the fear of "speaking out" in protestation of the bullying activities being
observed by the group. Unless the "bully mentality" is effectively challenged in any given group
in its early stages, it often becomes an accepted, or supported, norm within the group.[46][47]
Unless action is taken, a "culture of bullying" is often perpetuated within a group for months,
years, or longer.[48]
Bystanders who have been able to establish their own "friendship group" or "support group"
have been found to be far more likely to opt to speak out against bullying behavior than those
who have not.[49][50]
In addition to communication of clear expectations that bystanders should intervene and
increasing individual self-efficacy, there is growing research to suggest interventions should
build on the foundation that bullying is morally wrong. [51]
Among adults, being a bystander to workplace bullying was linked to depression. [52]

Of victims
Dr. Cook says, "A typical victim is likely to be aggressive, lack social skills, think negative
thoughts, experience difficulties in solving social problems, come from a negative family,
school and community environments and be noticeably rejected and isolated by
peers."[40] Victims often have characteristics such as being physically and mentally weak, as
well as being easily distraught emotionally. They may also have physical characteristics that
make them easier targets for bullies such as being overweight or having some type of physical
deformity. Boys are more likely to be victims of physical bullying while girls are more likely to
be bullied indirectly.[53]
The results of a meta-analysis conducted by Cook and published by the American
Psychological Association in 2010 concluded the main risk factors for children and adolescents
being bullied, and also for becoming bullies, are the lack of social problem-solving skills.[40]
Children who are bullied often show physical or emotional signs, such as: being afraid to
attend school, complaining of headaches or a loss of appetite, a lack of interest in school
activities and spending time with friends or family, and having an overall sense of sadness.
Effects
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Mona O'Moore of the Anti-Bullying Centre at Trinity College in Dublin, has written, "There is a
growing body of research which indicates that individuals, whether child or adult, who are
persistently subjected to abusive behavior are at risk of stress related illness which can
sometimes lead to suicide."[54] Those who have been the targets of bullying can suffer from long
term emotional and behavioral problems. Bullying can cause loneliness, depression, anxiety,
lead to low self-esteem and increased susceptibility to illness.[55] Bullying has also been shown
to cause maladjustment in young children, and targets of bullying who were also bullies
themselves exhibit even greater social difficulties.[56] A mental health report also found that
bullying was linked to eating disorders, anxiety, body dysmorphia and other negative
psychological effects.[57]

Suicide
Main articles: Bullying and suicide and List of suicides that have been attributed to bullying
Even though there is evidence that bullying increases the risk of suicide, bullying alone does
not cause suicide. Depression is one of the main reasons why kids who are bullied die by
suicide.[58] It is estimated that between 15 and 25 children die by suicide every year in the UK
alone because they are being bullied. [59] Certain groups seem to incur a higher risk for suicide,
such as Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Asian Americans, and LGBT people. When
someone feels unsupported by family or friends, it can make the situation much worse for the
victim.[60]
In a self-report study completed in New York by 9th through 12th graders, victims of bullying
reported more depressive symptoms and psychological distress than those who did not
experience bullying.[61] All types of involvement in bullying among both boys and girls is
associated with depression even a couple years later. [62] Another study that followed up with
Finnish teens two years after the initial survey showed that depression and suicidal ideation is
higher with teens who are bullied than those who did not report experiencing bullying. [62] A
Dutch longitudinal study on elementary students reported that boys who are bully-victims, who
play both roles of a victim and a bully, were more likely to experience depression or serious
suicidal ideation than the other roles, victims or bullies only, while girls who have any
involvement in bullying have a higher level of risk for depression. [63] In a study of high school
students completed in Boston, students who self reported being victims of bullying were more
likely to consider suicide when compared to youth who did not report being bullied. [64] The same
study also showed a higher risk of suicidal consideration in youth who report being a
perpetrator, victim, or victim-perpetrator. Victims and victim-bullies are associated with a higher
risk of suicide attempts. The place where youth live also appears to differentiate their bullying
experiences such that those living in more urban areas who reported both being bullied and
bullying others appear to show higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. [64] A
national survey given to American 6th through 10th grade students found that cyberbullying
victims experience a higher level of depression than victims experiencing other forms of
bullying. This can be related to the anonymity behind social media. [65] If a teen is being bullied
and is displaying symptoms of depression it should be questioned and interventions should be
implemented.[62] The Danish study showed that kids who are bullied talked to their parents and
teachers about it and some reported a decrease in bullying or a stop in the bullying after a
teacher or parent intervened. The study emphasizes the importance of implementing program-
collaborations in schools to have programs and anti-bullying interventions in place to prevent
and properly intervene when it occurs.[63] The study also shows the importance of having
parents and teachers talk to the bullies about their bullying behavior in order to provide the
necessary support for those experiencing bullying. [63]
While some people find it very easy to ignore a bully, others may find it very difficult and reach
a breaking point. There have been cases of apparent bullying suicides that have been reported
closely by the media. These include the deaths of Ryan Halligan, Phoebe Prince, Dawn-Marie
Wesley, Nicola Ann Raphael, Megan Meier, Audrie Pott, Tyler Clementi, Jamey
Rodemeyer, Kenneth Weishuhn, Jadin Bell, Kelly Yeomans, Rehtaeh Parsons, Amanda
Todd, Brodie Panlock,[66] Jessica Haffer,[67] Hamed Nastoh,[68] Sladjana Vidovic,[69] April Himes,
[70]
 Cherice Moralez[71] and Rebecca Ann Sedwick.[72] According to the suicide awareness voices
for education, suicide is one of the leading causes of death for youth from 15 to 24 years old.
Over 16 percent of students seriously consider suicide, 13 percent create a plan, and 8 percent
have made a serious attempt.[73]

Positive development
Some have argued that bullying can teach life lessons and instill strength. Helene Guldberg, a
child development academic, sparked controversy when she argued that being a target of
bullying can teach a child "how to manage disputes and boost their ability to interact with
others", and that teachers should not intervene but leave children to respond to the bullying
themselves.[74]
The teaching of such anti-bullying coping skills to "would-be-targets" [failed verification] and to others has
been found to be an effective long term means of reducing bullying incidence rates and a
valuable skill-set for individuals.[75]

Hormonal
Statistically controlling for age and pubertal status, results indicated that on average verbally
bullied girls produced less testosterone, and verbally bullied boys produced more testosterone
than their nonbullied counterparts.[76]

Dark triad
Main article: Dark triad
Research on the dark triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) indicate a
correlation with bullying as part of evidence of the aversive nature of those traits. [77]

Projection
Main article: Psychological projection
A bully may project his/her own feelings of vulnerability onto the target(s) of the bullying
activity. Despite the fact that a bully's typically denigrating activities are aimed at the bully's
targets, the true source of such negativity is ultimately almost always found in the bully's own
sense of personal insecurity and/or vulnerability. [78] Such aggressive projections of displaced
negative emotions can occur anywhere from the micro-level of interpersonal relationships, all
the way up through to the macro-level of international politics, or even international armed
conflict.[79]

Emotional intelligence
Main article: Bullying and emotional intelligence
Bullying is abusive social interaction between peers which can include aggression,
harassment, and violence. Bullying is typically repetitive and enacted by those who are in a
position of power over the victim. A growing body of research illustrates a significant
relationship between bullying and emotional intelligence (EI). Mayer et al., (2008) defines the
dimensions of overall EI as "accurately perceiving emotion, using emotions to facilitate thought,
understanding emotion, and managing emotion". [80] The concept combines emotional and
intellectual processes.[81] Lower emotional intelligence appears to be related to involvement in
bullying, as the bully and/or the victim of bullying. EI seems to play an important role in both
bullying behavior and victimization in bullying; given that EI is illustrated to be malleable, EI
education could greatly improve bullying prevention and intervention initiatives. [82]

Context
Cyberbullying
Main article: Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is any bullying done through the use of technology. This form of bullying can
easily go undetected because of lack of parental/authoritative supervision. Because bullies can
pose as someone else, it is the most anonymous form of bullying. Cyberbullying includes, but
is not limited to, abuse using email, instant messaging, text messaging, websites, social
networking sites, etc.[83] With the creation of social networks
like Facebook, Myspace, Instagram, and Twitter, cyberbullying has increased. Particular
watchdog organizations have been designed to contain the spread of cyberbullying. [84]

Disability bullying
Main article: Disability bullying
It has been noted that disabled people are disproportionately affected by bullying and abuse,
and such activity has been cited as a hate crime. [85] The bullying is not limited to those who are
visibly disabled, such as wheelchair-users or physically deformed such as those with a cleft lip,
but also those with learning disabilities, such as autism[86][87] and developmental coordination
disorder.[88][89]
There is an additional problem that those with learning disabilities are often not as able to
explain things to other people, so are more likely to be disbelieved or ignored if they do
complain.[citation needed]

Gay bullying
Main article: Gay bashing
Gay bullying and gay bashing designate direct or indirect verbal or physical actions by a
person or group against someone who is gay or lesbian, or perceived to be so due to rumors
or because they are considered to fit gay stereotypes. Gay and lesbian youth are more likely
than straight youth to report bullying, as well as be bullied. [90][91]

Legal bullying
Main article: Legal abuse
Legal bullying is the bringing of a vexatious legal action to control and punish a person. Legal
bullying can often take the form of frivolous, repetitive, or burdensome lawsuits brought to
intimidate the defendant into submitting to the litigant's request, not because of the legal merit
of the litigant's position, but principally due to the defendant's inability to maintain the legal
battle. This can also take the form of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). It
was partially concern about the potential for this kind of abuse that helped to fuel the protests
against SOPA and PIPA in the United States in 2011 and 2012. [citation needed]
Military bullying
Main articles: Bullying in the military and Dedovshchina
In 2000, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) defined bullying as "the use of physical strength or
the abuse of authority to intimidate or victimize others, o