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Bullying
Bullying is…
Bullying is when one person or a group of people repeatedly hurts someone else. Bullying involves hurting someone who is often weaker or less confident. There are many types of bullying, and for young women, bullying usually involves more teasing than hitting. Bullying is often done on purpose and it can happen anywhere, such as at school, in the park, on a sports team, or even at home. Often the person being bullied has a hard time defending herself.
Bullying can be:
- Leaving someone out of group activities on purpose, such as being part of a clique and not letting others join
- Ignoring someone—giving them the “silent treatment”
- Using the Internet, instant messenger, and/or E-mail to hurt others (also called cyber-bullying)
- Making faces and/or bad gestures with your hands at someone
- Using people to get something you want, such as making friends with someone who is smart just so they can do your homework for you
- Making fun of someone for being “different”
- Forcing someone to do something embarrassing or dangerous in order to join a sports team or social group (also called hazing)
- Name-calling, teasing, gossiping, and/or spreading rumors
- Hair pulling, biting, and pinching
- Threatening and scaring others
- Hitting, punching, and shoving
What Girls Do
A shake of the head, a roll of the eyes
The rumors the lies
They no longer play on your pride
But rip you up inside
This is what girls do
This is what they say
It is like this every day
The mothers reply
But that is a lie
Walking in the hall
Taking in it all
All alone no one home
Kids shouting, kids staring
All this torture I'm bearing
No one caring
- Anonymous, Age 12
FROM: Odd Girl Speaks Out by Rachel Simmons
Bullying happens to lots of girls every day. Keep reading to find out more about bullying and how you can help put an end to it.
- Around 5.7 million teens are involved in bullying as either the bully, a target of bullying, or both.
- 1 out of 4 young people are bullied.
- Almost 50% (half!) of all young people have been bullied at some time during their school years.
Content last updated June 25, 2008
