Though we have no federal legislation or codified definition on bullying, HR 975 defines bullying as:   conduct that is based on a student’s actual or perceived identity with regard to race, color, national origin, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or any other distinguishing characteristics that may be defined by a State or local educational agency that—   is directed at one or more students; substantially interferes with educational opportunities or educational programs of such students; and adversely affects the ability of a student to participate in or benefit from the school’s educational programs or activities by placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm, What is Bullying?

and may also be through: a student’s association with another individual; and a characteristic of the other individual that is referred to

Has a biological orientation that focuses on the binary identifiers of sickness and mental health which are considered as abnormal, unhealthy, or which require intervention or something in need of fixing according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM IV).** *Medical Model

Agitated and threatened when the ideology of the norm is challenged by the externalized non-normative representations in society and schools writ-large (Miller, 2012) because they have come to identify “with a set of social narratives, myths, ideas, values and types of varying reliability, usefulness, and verifiability” (Siebers, 2008, p. 15). When these narratives are threatened, bullies go on the attack. Bullies are attuned to these “deviations,” and often feel vindicated because of the social acceptance of the Medical Model. Why Bullies Bully?

What is the only thing your sex absolutely makes you or forces you to do (in a certain way) on any given day?*

The everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostility, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership (Sue, 2010, p.3) Microaggressions as Bullying

I do believe that people experience themselves as moral, good, decent, well-intentioned human beings, who may not be conscious of their hidden biases, prejudices, and discriminatory behavior. I also believe that these same people are guilty of enacting microaggressions and should be held accountable to unlearning and reflecting on how to self-monitor the enactment of microaggressions. Deliverers

Messages may invalidate the group identity or experiential reality of target persons, demean them on a personal or group level, communicate that they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not belong with the majority group, threaten and intimidate, or relegate them to inferior status and treatment. Consequences

 repetitive and ongoing  create discomfort, stress, trauma  reflect the active manifestation of oppressive world views that create, foster, and enforce marginalization  can occur through imposition or deprivation  manifest on a continuum from direct/concrete to symbolic or psychological, and unintentional, indirect, and subtle  power lies in their invisibility to the perpetrators and oftentimes the recipients Microaggressions