Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior where one person or a group harms or intimidates another person, often someone perceived as weaker or more vulnerable. While some examples of bullying may be clear, others may be a bit harder to identify.

There is no one official definition of bullying, though many use much of the same general concepts, including:

Intention: the harmful actions are deliberate, not accidental. 

Repetition: the behavior is repeated over time, not an isolated incident

An imbalance of power: there is a real or perceived power imbalance between the two parties. This could be due to differences in physical strength, social status, access to information or other factors. 

Additionally, each state has a legal definition of bullying which schools are required to follow. Children and families may have their own views on what constitutes bullying. Each of these factors should be considered when building your school’s definition.

A clear definition of bullying helps everyone get on the same page, accurately respond to reports, manage behavior, and create a bullying prevention plan.

Use this free excerpt from Changemakers Guide to Bullying Prevention to help build your school’s approach to bullying.