IST 605: Bullying in Schools

What is Bullying?

According to stopbullying.gov, bullying is defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.” The behavior is considered bullying if it is repetitive over time. There are several types of bullying:

• Verbal bullying- This type of bullying includes frequent insults, name calling, teasing, racist or homophobic remarks, and other types of verbal abuse.
• Social Bullying- Otherwise known as “behind the back” bullying or relational aggression, this type includes spreading rumors, mimicking, playing pranks, and encouraging other children to exclude the victim.
• Physical Bullying- This type includes hitting, pinching, kicking, tripping, or any sort of physical abuse.
• Cultural Bullying- This type includes insults based purely on one’s culture: Children of a different race or religion are frequently targeted and singled out for bullying.
• Cyberbullying- New in the digital age, this type of bullying includes posting harmful images, sending threatening texts or emails, and/or making threats online or on social media.

Regardless of the type of bullying experienced, children can have long-lasting, damaging effects from bullying. The sources in this guide are here to serve as anti-bullying resources, in various mediums, for yourself and your child. They range from books of various reading levels, to websites and multimedia, to professional databases you can access in your public library. Bullying is a pervasive problem in elementary, middle, and high schools. This guide is for parents and educators alike to provide children with help and support they may desperately need. As you navigate the tabs and drop-down menus on the left-hand side of this page, you will see that the guide is broken into sub-tabs, depending on the age of the child and if they are in elementary, middle, or high school.