Bullying is any unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. This imbalance may be based upon physical strength, embarassing information, and/or popularity. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, as well as excluding someone from a group on purpose. These actions can happen in person, indirectly, or online (cyberbullying).
Click here to see Mesa View's Anti-Bullying Pledge, signed by students every year.
How Do I Know If It's Bullying?
- Have there been problems in the past? Has it happened before?
- Is the victim worried that it will happen again?
- Is there a power imbalance? Is someone acting superior to another to get his or her way?
- Were the victim and bully once close friends? Were they in a close relationship?
- Are the involved persons connected with a gang or an affiliated group or clique?
- Do those involved, including the victim, insist they're "just goofing around" or that "it's nothing?"
How Do I Know That It's Not Just Teasing?
- Bullying and its outcomes are always intended and typically repeated. Teasing is not.
- Teasing is usually an isolated action where the outcome is unexpected or unintentiional. - However, teasing, if repeated over time, may grow into bullying.
