Definition of bullying
Types of bullying
Physical Aggression - This behaviour includes pushing, shoving, punching, kicking, poking and tripping people. It may also take the form of severe physical assault. While students may engage in ‘mess/mock’ fights, they can sometimes be used as a disguise for physical harassment or inflicting pain.
Intimidation - This may be based on the use of very aggressive body language with the voice being used as a weapon. Particularly upsetting can be a facial expression which conveys aggression and/or dislike. Intimidation may also take the form of verbal threats.
Deliberate exclusion - This occurs where a certain person is deliberately isolated, excluded or ignored by some or all of the class group. It may be accompanied by writing insulting remarks about the student in public places, by passing around notes about or drawings of the student or by whispering insults about them loud enough to be heard. This can include a group ganging up against one person; non-verbal gesturing or giving them the ‘silent treatment’.
Malicious gossip - Spreading rumours
Cyber bullying - Bullying carried out through the use of information and communication technologies such as sending abusive/mean messages, posting abusive/mean messages or comments or spreading rumours online.
Identity based bullying - Targeting aspects of a person’s identity which may include bias about appearance, race, culture, gender and gender expression, language, religion, socioeconomic status, disability and sexual orientation.
Racist bullying - A type of racism where someone’s bullying focuses on your race, ethnicity or culture. This may include but is not limited to: being called racist names, racist graffiti, being left out, treated differently or excluded, people making assumptions about you because of your colour, race or culture, racist jokes, including jokes about your colour, nationality race or culture.
Bullying based on a person’s membership of the Travelling Community
Bullying of those with disabilities or special educational needs
Placing a once-off offensive or hurtful public message, image or statement on a social network site or other public forum where that message, image or statement can be viewed and/or repeated by other people will be regarded as bullying behaviour.
Who to tell
Subject teacher Guidance Counsellor
Class teacher Special Needs Assistant (SNA)
Year Head Deputy Principals
School Chaplain Principal
How you can tell
Directly approach a teacher
Discreetly approach a member of staff
Hand up a note with homework
Ask to go to the bathroom and call into a Deputy Principal
Get a friend or a parent to tell on your behalf
Impact of bullying
Bullying can have a huge effect on your physical and mental health, both now and in the future. Anxiety, low self-esteem, self-harm and difficulty sleeping are just some of the many things you may experience if you are being bullied. Those who experience cyberbullying may also have higher levels of depressive symptoms than victims of in-person bullying.
If you are being bullied, you may experience:
Emotional distress, sadness and tearfulness
Frustration and high levels of anger
Shame, embarrassment and self-blame
Damage to physical and emotional well-being
Reduced self-esteem, lack of confidence and depression
A sense of fear
Helplessness
Reduced academic performance, particularly if you are not feeling safe in school or college
If you are experiencing any of these effects, you are not alone. It is very normal to have these feelings when you are being bullied. Remember, there are things you can do about bullying. By reaching out for support, you can stop the bullying and reduce these unwanted effects.