Bullying and Cyberbullying
Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine
What is bullying? 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: Aggressive behavior. A difference in power, 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. Repetition, meaning it happens more than once or that it probably will happen again What are the types of bullying? There are three types of bullying: Physical bullying involves hurting a person's body or belongings. Examples include hitting, kicking, and stealing or breaking someone's stuff. Social bullying (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. Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things, including name-calling, taunting, and threatening What is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is bullying that happens through text messages or online. It could be through emails, social media, forums, or gaming. Some examples are: Posting rumors on social media Sharing embarrassing pictures or videos online Sharing someone else's private information online (doxing) Making threats against someone online Creating fake accounts and posting information to embarrass someone Certain types of cyberbullying can be illegal. The laws on cyberbullying are different from state to state. How is cyberbullying different from bullying? Cyberbullying is a type of bullying, but there are some differences between the two. Cyberbullying can be: Anonymous - people can hide their identities when they are online or using a cell phone Persistent - people can send messages instantly, at any time of the day or night Permanent - a lot of electronic communication is permanent and public, unless it's reported and removed. A bad online reputation can affect ge