Page 15 | ABUSE Magazine
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What is
bullying?
• Bullying is an intentional act. The child who bullies wants
to harm the victim; it is no accident.
• Bullying involves repeated occurrences. Bullying is not
generally considered a random act nor a single incident.
Rather, a child is repeatedly picked on by another child or
is the target of harassment from a whole group of children.
It is the repeated nature of bullying that causes anxiety and
apprehension in victims, such that the anticipation of bullying becomes as problematic as the bullying itself.
Bullying is characterized by a power difference; an unfair
fight where the child who bullies has some advantage or
power over the child who is victimized. Bullying is not the
same as “playing around,” it is about the abuse of power.