What is Bullying?

Criteria for Bullying

1.  Physical Abuse
   Pinching, poking, pushing, slapping, tripping – physical abuse includes any physical contact that is meant to be harmful, painful or embarrassing.
2. Verbal Harassment
   Name-calling, teasing, snide remarks – any use of words that is meant to embarrass, belittle or hurt another is bullying.
3.  Threats and Intimidation
   Threatening another with harm – either physical or emotional – is a form of bullying. Threats need not be verbal – a gesture can be as potent a threat as an explicit, graphic verbal threat.
4. Extortion or stealing of money
5. Exclusion from peer group

1. Playful teasing where all participants are on equal footing is not bullying.
2. Physical fighting where both participants are of equal standing and have ‘competing claims’ is not bullying.
3. Groups of people who choose not to associate with each other by mutual agreement are not bullying each other. 

In order for behavior to be ‘bullying’, three criteria must be met:

1. The intent is to cause harm, pain, humiliation or otherwise damage the victim
2. here is a disparity of power between the perpetrator and the victim. This disparity may be physical or social, and it may only be perceived, but if both aggressor and victim are on equal standing, the incident is not likely to be part of a pattern of bullying.
3. It is carried out repeatedly and over time.

The Who and Where of Bullying

1. Workplace bullying, including sexual harassment, threats of job loss or privileges for unrelated actions and verbal abuse and taunts by coworkers/bosses.
2. Cyber Bullying - threatening or harassing text messages, emails or postings on social networks and other websites
3. Abusive marital relationships
4. Aggressive drivers, road rage, etc.
5. Aggressive or pushy salespeople
6. Elder abuse by relatives, home care workers and nursing home workers
7. Threatening telephone calls and workplace harassment by creditors