Bullying Prevention

Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional, repeated over time, and involves an imbalance of power or strength. A child who is being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself.
Bullying can take many forms such as:

• Physical bullying, such as hitting or punching
• Verbal bullying, such as teasing or name-calling
• Nonverbal or emotional bullying, such as intimidating someone through gestures or social exclusion

Children and youth also may be involved in cyberbullying, which occurs when children or teens bully each other using the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology. This can include:

• Sending mean text, email, or instant messages
• Posting lewd or embarrassing photos or messages about others in blogs or on Web sites
• Using someone else's user name to spread rumors or lies about someone
• We encourage adults to become involved if you suspect a child or adolescent is bullying someone, or is being bullied.