Bullying

Bullying is not always easy to define. A child may encounter bullying attacks that are:

• Physical. Pushing, kicking, hitting, pinching and other forms of violence or threats.

• Verbal. Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, persistent teasing.

• Emotional. Excluding (sending to Coventry), tormenting, ridicule, humiliation.

Of course, a bully will often rely on a mix of these techniques, and include other children in the bullying, either as witnesses or active participants. Repeated attacks may escalate in intensity.

Emotional bullying, like ridicule and exclusion, seems to be more common than physical violence and, judging by what young people tell us, it can also be the most difficult type of bullying to cope with or prove. New methods have also followed this old problem—texting, cruel photos from a mobile, emails and web-based attacks are increasingly prevalent