Teachers Against Bullying February 2013 | Page 9

BULLYING

THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT FORMS OF BULLYING:

VERBAL:

Involves- mocking, name calling, making sexist, homophobic or racist remarks.

PHYSICAL:

Shoving, stealing, hitting, or damaging of one’s property

ELECTRONIC/CYBER BULLYING:

Spreading rumors, or hurtful comments via electronic devices

SOCIAL:

Involves gossip, spreading rumors or excluding others from a group.

BASIC ELEMENTS:

UNEQUAL POWER:

One child has power over another child (or it is perceived this way to the children involved)

HURTFUL ACTIONS:

Physically or psychologically harmful behaviour takes place (such as name-calling, insults, threats, hitting, kicking, punching etc.)

DIRECT OR INDIRECT ACTIONS:

The abusive behaviour may be face-to-face or done behind a child’ s back (ie: exclusion, teasing, gossiping and spreading rumors)

REPETITIVE BEHAVIOUR:

The hurtful actions continue therefore, the child being affected finds it increasingly difficult to escape.

The government of Canada defines bullying as:

“Willful, repeated aggressive behaviour with negative intent used by a child to maintain power over another child” The result being: “A victimized child caught in an abusive relationship.”