The Victoria (Australia) Department of Education and Training State Government website offers a nationally agreed definition of bullying used by all Australian schools:
Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm.
In other words, bullying is repetitive acts of intimidation targeted at a person or a group of people.
Being bullied can happen to anyone and is a universal scourge. Bullying can take place at school, at work, at home or online.
The Victoria (Australia) Department of Education and Training identifies 4 main types of bullying behaviour:
1. physical
Example: damaging or stealing personal belongings
2. verbal/written
Example: insults
3. social
Example: spreading rumours
4. cyberbullying
Example: social media threats
Unfortunately, bullying is sometimes dismissed as normal conflict or is downright ignored as it is a taboo subject. Bullying is a serious issue as it is a form of violence. It can have serious physical and psychological impacts on a victim. It is a human rights violation and is illegal. Everyone has the right to learn and work in a safe environment. Everyone has the right to be treated fairly. Bullying is also illegal under laws addressing bullying and harassment. (Kindly read my article Bullying, Harassment and the Law to know more about the legal aspects of bullying).
Bullying doesn’t affect only the victims but also their families and their social environment. For example, classmates and coworkers who witness bullying have no choice but to work in a negative environment. Bullying is more common than we think and the negative impacts on victims of bullying and their families should not be underestimated. I believe that each one of us as responsible citizens, needs to take a stand against bullying in order to live in a bully-free society.
Bibliography
Victoria State Government. 20 October 2022. “What is bullying?”
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/bullystoppers/Pages/what.aspx