Bullying (a.k.a. "Criminal Harrassment")
Bullying is abusive treatment, the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when habitual and involving an imbalance of power. It may involve verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed persistently towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability.
The "imbalance of power" may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a "target."Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation.
Bullying ranges from simple one-on-one bullying to more complex bullying in which the bully may have one or more 'lieutenants' who may seem to be willing to assist the primary bully in his bullying activities.
Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as peer abuse or the as the police prefer "criminal harassment", which in Connecticut is a felony. Bullying can occur in any context in which human beings interact with each other. This includes school, religious facilities, family, the workplace, home and neighborhoods. Bullying can exist between social groups, social classes and even between countries.
Bullying can happen anywhere: in school, online, on playgrounds. In recent years, it’s become a rapidly growing concern for parents and school-aged children alike. Parents want to know their children are protected when they can’t be there and children want to feel safe. Below you will find a list of resources on preventing and dealing with bullying in general, as well as how it’s being addressed in Connecticut.
Resources: Bullying and Safe Schools Coalition, APA.org