Defining Bullying

 

What is Bullying?

Bullying is deliberate, repeated behaviour by an individual or group that intentionally harms another person, physically or emotionally, and involves a power imbalance. It can occur in person, online, or in the community, and schools have a legal duty to prevent it under the Education Act 2002 and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE). 

Types of Bullying
1.   Physical Bullying 
•    Involves actions like hitting, kicking, pushing, or damaging property.
•    Can cause physical injury and often occurs in school or community settings.
•    Example: Repeatedly shoving a child in the playground to intimidate them.

2.   Verbal Bullying 
•    Includes name-calling, insults, teasing, threats, or spreading rumours.
•    Can be spoken or written, such as through notes or messages.
•    Example: Persistently mocking a Sikh child’s cultural background or attire.

3.   Cyberbullying 
•    Occurs online via social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, or texts.
•    Includes sending abusive messages, trolling, or sharing humiliating content, often anonymously.
•    Example: Repeatedly posting harmful comments about a child on social media.

4.   Social (Relational) Bullying 
•    Aims to harm relationships or social status through exclusion, gossip, or reputation damage.
•    Often subtle, causing emotional distress.
•    Example: Deliberately excluding a child from a group to isolate them.

5.   Prejudice-Based Bullying
•    Targets protected characteristics like race, religion, gender, or disability.
•    Example: Targeting a Sikh child and pressuring or coercing them to reject their faith or adopt another. 

6.   Lewd Bullying
•    Involves inappropriate sexual comments, gestures, intentions or sharing sexual images.
•    May overlap with sexual harassment.

•    May require safeguarding action especially as abuse and grooming are criminal acts.   

•    Example: Making lewd remarks about a child’s appearance or pressuring them to share images.

7. Psychological Bullying
•    Causes emotional or mental distress through intimidation, manipulation, or fear.
•    Focuses on psychological harm, often overlapping with other types.
•    Example: Constantly threatening a child to make them feel unsafe.