<h3>What is bullying?</h3> <p>Bullying is when a person or group repeatedly harms someone on purpose. It can be physical, social, and/or verbal. It is harmful to both the victims and the bullies, and it always involves:</p><ul> <li><strong>Aggressive behavior.</strong></li> <li><strong>A difference in power,</strong> meaning that the victim is weaker or is seen as weaker. For example, bullies may try to use physical strength, embarrassing information, or popularity to harm others.</li> <li><strong>Repetition,</strong> meaning it happens more than once or that it probably will happen again</li> </ul> <h3>What are the types of bullying?</h3> <p>There are three types of bullying:</p><ul> <li><strong>Physical bullying</strong> involves hurting a person's body or belongings. Examples include hitting, kicking, and stealing or breaking someone's stuff.</li> <li><strong>Social bullying</strong> (also called relational bullying) hurts someone's reputation or relationships. Some examples are spreading rumors, embarrassing someone in public, and making someone feel left out.</li> <li><strong>Verbal bullying</strong> is saying or writing mean things, including name-calling, taunting, and threatening</li> </ul> <h3>What is cyberbullying?</h3> <p>Cyberbullying is bullying that happens through text messages or online. It could be through emails, social media, forums, or gaming. Some examples are:</p><ul> <li>Posting rumors on social media</li> <li>Sharing embarrassing pictures or videos online</li> <li>Sharing someone else's private information online (doxing)</li> <li>Making threats against someone online</li> <li>Creating fake accounts and posting information to embarrass someone</li> </ul> <p>Certain types of cyberbullying can be illegal. The laws on cyberbullying are different from state to state.</p> <h3>How is cyberbullying different from bullying?</h3> <p>Cyberbullying is a type of bullying, but there are some differences between the two. Cyberbullying can be:</p><ul> <li><strong>Anonymous</strong> - people can hide their identities when they are online or using a cell phone</li> <li><strong>Persistent</strong> - people can send messages instantly, at any time of the day or night</li> <li><strong>Permanent</strong> - a lot of electronic communication is permanent and public, unless it's reported and removed. A bad online reputation can affect getting into college, getting a job, and other areas of life. This applies to the bully as well.</li> <li><strong>Hard to notice</strong> - teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place</li> </ul> <h3>Which children are more likely to be bullied?</h3> <p>Children are more likely to be bullied if they:</p><ul> <li>Are seen as different from their peers, such as being overweight or underweight, dressing differently, or being of a different race/ethnicity</li> <li>Are seen as weak</li> <li>Have <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/depression.html">depression</a>, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/anxiety.html">anxiety</a>, or low self-esteem</li> <li>Don't have many friends or are less popular</li> <li>Don't socialize well with others</li> <li>Have an intellectual or <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/developmentaldisabilities.html">developmental disability</a></li> </ul> <h3>Which children are more likely to be bullies?</h3> <p>There are two types of children who are more likely to bully others:</p><ul> <li>Children who are well-connected to peers, have social power, are overly worried about popularity, and like to be in charge of others</li> <li>Children who are more isolated from peers, may be depressed or anxious, have low self-esteem, are easily pressured by peers, and have trouble understanding other people's feelings</li> </ul> <p>There are certain factors that make someone more likely to be a bully. They include:</p><ul> <li>Being aggressive or easily frustrated</li> <li>Having trouble at home, such as violence or bullying in the home or having uninvolved parents</li> <li>Having trouble following rules</li> <li>Seeing violence positively</li> <li>Having friends who bully others</li> </ul> <h3>What are the effects of bullying?</h3> <p>Bullying is a serious problem that causes harm. And it doesn't just hurt the person who is being bullied; it can also be harmful for the bullies and for any kids who witness the bullying.</p> <p><strong>Kids who are bullied</strong> can have problems at school and with their mental and physical health. They are at risk for:</p><ul> <li>Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. These problems sometimes last into adulthood.</li> <li>Health complaints, including headaches and stomachaches</li> <li>Lower grades and test scores</li> <li>Missing and dropping out of school</li> </ul> <p><strong>Kids who bully others</strong> have a higher risk for substance use, problems in school, and violence later in life. </p><p><strong>Kids who witness bullying</strong> are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol and have mental health problems. They may also miss or skip school. </p><h3>What are the signs of being bullied?</h3> <p>Often, kids who are being bullied don't report it. They may fear a backlash from the bully, or they may think that no one cares. Sometimes they feel too ashamed to talk about it. So it is important to know the signs of a bullying problem:</p><ul> <li>Depression, loneliness, or anxiety</li> <li>Low self-esteem</li> <li>Headaches, stomachaches, or poor eating habits</li> <li>Disliking school, not wanting to go to school, or getting worse grades than before</li> <li>Self-destructive behaviors, such as running away from home, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/selfharm.html">harming themselves</a>, or talking about <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/suicide.html">suicide</a></li> <li>Unexplained injuries</li> <li>Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry</li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html">Trouble sleeping</a> or frequent nightmares</li> <li>Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations</li> </ul> <h3>How do you help someone who is being bullied?</h3> <p>To help a child who is being bullied, support the child and address the bullying behavior:</p><ul> <li><strong>Listen and focus on the child.</strong> Learn what's been going on and show you want to help.</li> <li><strong>Assure the child that bullying is not his/her fault</strong></li> <li><strong>Know that kids who are bullied may struggle with talking about it.</strong> Consider referring them to a school counselor, psychologist, or other mental health service.</li> <li><strong>Give advice about what to do.</strong> This may involve role-playing and thinking through how the child might react if the bullying occurs again.</li> <li><strong>Work together to resolve the situation and protect the bullied child.</strong> The child, parents, and school or organization should be part of the solution.</li> <li><strong>Follow up.</strong> Bullying may not end overnight. Make sure that the child knows that you are committed to making it stop.</li> <li><strong>Make sure that the bully knows that his or her behavior is wrong and harms others</strong></li> <li><strong>Show kids that bullying is taken seriously.</strong> Make it clear to everyone that the bullying will not be tolerated.</li> </ul> <p class="">Department of Health and Human Services</p>