Buzz Words of the Day

Conflict -vs- Bullying

Conflict: Disagreements (fighting-verbal or physical) that involves two equally matched kids Definitions Bullying: Intentional (on purpose), repeated, negative acts that involve an imbalance of power

Bullying is intentional aggressive behavior. It can take the form of physical or verbal harassment and involves an imbalance of power (a group of children can gang up on a victim or someone who is physically bigger or more aggressive can intimidate someone else, for instance).

Bullying behavior can include teasing, insulting someone (particularly about their weight or height, race, sexuality, religion or other personal traits), shoving, hitting, excluding someone, or gossiping about someone.

Bullying can cause a victim to feel upset, afraid, ashamed, embarrassed, and anxious about going to school. It can involve children of any age, including younger elementary grade-schoolers and even kindergarteners. Bullying behavior is frequently repeated unless there is intervention.

Bullying among children is understood as repeated, negative acts committed by one or more children against another. These negative acts may be physical or verbal in nature -- for example, hitting or kicking, teasing or taunting -- or they may involve indirect actions such as manipulating friendships or purposely excluding other children from activities. Implicit in this definition is an imbalance in real or perceived power between the bully and victim.

Imbalance of Power: Older, bigger, stronger, more verbally adept, higher on the social ladder, of a different race, or of the opposite sex. Sheer numbers can create this imbalance.

Intent to Harm: The bully means to inflict emotional and/or physical pain, expects the action to hurt, and takes pleasure in witnessing the hurt. This is no accident or mistake, no slip of the tongue, no playful teasing, no misplaced foot, no inadvertent exclusion, no “Oops, I didn’t mean it.”

Threat of Further Aggression: Both the bully and the bullied know that the bullying can and probably will happen again. This is not meant to be a one time event.

So What? Aggressive Behavior Rubric/Same Page Adult awareness Educate Kids More Research/Learning On-going conversations