Defining Bullying - The Definition of Bullying
What is bullying?
Bullying is very hard to define. Researchers and educationalists cannot agree. In a recent search we found over 740 different definitions of bullying from leading researchers, specialists and organisations.
It is important that every school, college and other institution defines what bullying is for them in their anti-bullying policy. The definition needs to be clear and shared with everyone. Ideally the definition should be agreed collectively with students, parents, teachers and management.
Actionwork® define bullying as: Bullying involves an imbalance of power typified by repeated deliberate behaviour towards others that causes fear or physical or psychological pain either online, face-to-face or behind someones back.
This evolved from:
The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) includes the following principles in its definition of bullying:
- Bullying behaviour deliberately causes hurt (either physically or emotionally).
- Bullying behaviour is repeated (though one-off incidents such as the posting of an image, or the sending of an sms/text that is then forwarded to a group, can quickly become repetitive and spiral into bullying behaviour / cyberbullying).
- Bullying behaviour involves an imbalance of power.
The full text of the ABA definition of bullying is: The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or through cyberspace.
It is important that we know what bullying is as well as what it isn't. Bullying is not teasing and banter between friends without intention to cause hurt, falling out between friends after a quarrel or disagreement or behaviour that all parties have consented to and/or enjoy.
Bullying used to be accepted as a rite of passage that we should all go through to help make us strong, to build our characters. The trouble is, as we all know, some people suffer bullying so badly they actually want to take their own lives. It is possible, if we want, to experience this 'rite-of-passage' safely. Using creativity we can experience bullying in a safe way and find ways to deal with it. Theatre and creative techniques such as role-play allow us to experience some of the affects of bullying and try out techniques for dealing with it in a safe place and without fear of retribution or ridicule. The Actionwork® method of dealing with bullying is all about creative action.
When working with groups to deal with bullying, one of the first things to explore and cover is the definition. Make sure each group and each person within that group has a clear understanding of bullying. Make sure that you allow enough time for sharing and generating ideas within the group for this to happen.
If you need help, Actionwork® provides specialist creative workshops that explore the definition of bullying and ways to creatively deal with it.
Contacting Actionwork®
Please contact us for details or go direct to our booking page.
