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Articles & Advice > College Admission > Blog

How to Write About Bullying in Your College Essay

Bullying is a sensitive subject you may feel isn't good for your college essay, but here's how and why it could be a great application essay topic for you.

by Kim Lifton President, Wow Writing Workshop

Last Updated: Sep 27, 2023

Originally Posted: Nov 10, 2020

October was National Bullying Awareness Month, and although it has come and gone, anytime is a good time to address such an important issue and answer a question we get asked often: Is it okay to write about sensitive topics like bullying in your college essay? Of course it is. You can write about bullying, coming out, political opinions, death and loss, depression, anxiety, drugs, religion, or any other sensitive topic in your college essay. In fact, you can write anything you want as long as you have a good reason for doing so. But let’s focus on bullying and the ways you can comfortably and impactfully address the topic.

Telling your story

To be effective in your college essay—no matter the topic—you must answer the prompt, show insight, and share something meaningful that colleges might not learn elsewhere in your application. Here are two questions to help you decide if writing about a topic like bullying will work for you:

• Why are you telling this story about bullying?
• What do you want colleges to take away about you after reading your story about bullying? 

Let me give you some context. A few years back, I worked with a young woman on a package of college essays for multiple schools. She chose to tell a story about bullying to answer the fourth Common Application essay prompt : Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.  

This was the perfect prompt for her topic; she wanted to share something about herself through a challenge she had experienced. She wrote a beautiful story about teaching a five-year-old camper how to handle a bully, connecting to her camper because she was also bullied during middle school. Her story showcased problem-solving skills, kindness, and empathy. 

Related: Mental Health: What It Is and How You Can Find Help  

What her essay did right

This student’s story highlighted growth and learning related to her own experience being bullied. To write her story effectively, she focused on what was learned, not how she was forced to learn it, and how she used what she learned to help one of her campers confront her own bully. In her story, she:

• Answered the prompt
• Showed insight
• Shared something meaningful to her
• Highlighted a positive trait or characteristic  

This student explained in gorgeous detail what the problem was that she cared about (teaching a camper how to cope with a girl who was mean to her) and how she helped solve the challenge (helping the camper ignore the mean girl). The key to this successful essay: She didn’t focus on the bullying; instead, she focused on her personal growth and problem-solving skills—something she learned through her own experiences back in middle school. This showcased to admission officers that she learned a lot from a difficult time in her life when she faced insecurities while hanging out with people who were mean to her. And she had grown significantly from that hard time.

This student got into her first-choice college (a highly selective public university) with a fabulous application that included a personal statement focused on a topic that some well-meaning adults might call too sensitive or controversial.

What to keep in mind as you write your college essay

As you make decisions about your own college application essay topics , consider that no topic is off limits if you handle it appropriately. And as you begin the process, always keep in mind:

• What you’re writing about: A story about you (not about bullying or any other controversial topic)
• Who you’re writing for: College admission representatives
• Why you’re writing it: 1) To illustrate something meaningful about yourself; 2) To demonstrate how you think; 3) To help admission officers round out your application package; and 4) To show that this college is a good fit for you and vice versa

Your essay should also be:

• Specific : Don’t write about your entire summer working on a construction site. Choose an important moment or other small piece of that experience, then demonstrate why that moment matters.
• Clear : Speak in your own voice. Don’t try to be funnier, smarter, or more creative than you actually are. Make sure you sound like you .
• Direct : Say what you mean in plain language. This ties back to “don’t try to sound smarter.” Throwing in fancy vocabulary you’ve never used before will only sound inauthentic.
• Unique : Even if your experience seems mundane, the fact that it happened to you makes it unique.

Related: What NOT to Do in Your College Application Essay

Focus on your traits and not just a topic

Too many students get hung up on the topic of their college essay long before they’re even ready to start the application process . They look for huge topics they think will attract attention or activities that might lead to stories, and they devote a lot of time talking about their experiences and accomplishments. That’s why college essays seem so difficult. Students start in the middle without even knowing they skipped the first part of the process.

Have you been thinking about what makes a great topic? Because bullying or coming out or similar subjects are only good topics if you can reflect on them. Do you think you know what you’re going to write about? If so, slow down. What do you want colleges to know about you if you did get bullied? Did it change you? Have you learned anything from that bad experience? Take two steps backward if you plan to start your college essay with a certain situation in mind. Instead, focus on a few traits and qualities that make you great. How would you describe yourself?

• Are you kind? Funny?
• Are you resourceful? Curious?
• Are you industrious? Patient?
• Are you compassionate? Competitive? 

Determine what your best qualities are and how you want to highlight them, then choose a topic or experience you believe will allow you to do just that. Think about my student, the young woman who taught a camper how to face a bully. She knew how because she had been bullied herself. She’s resilient. She’s a problem-solver. She’s mature—and so very kind. If you follow this advice and put the topic aside while you focus instead on your own traits and characteristics, you’ll hit your college essay right out of the ballpark.

Related: Now Is the Time to Start Your College Essay

The college essay is a hurdle all applicants have to face, and students are often afraid to touch on sensitive topics—but it’s absolutely okay as long as you remember your end goal: sharing something with the admission committee that will show them who you really are and why you belong at their school. Focus on what you learned about yourself from the hard experience you want to write about and how it made you grow, and college admission counselors will surely see you for all you’re worth.

For more expert advice on how to write your best college essay, check out our College Admission—Application Essay Clinic section.

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About Kim Lifton

Kim Lifton is President and Co-founder of  Wow Writing Workshop , which teaches students and educational professionals a simple, step-by-step process for writing effective college essays so they can stand out and tell their stories. Kim supervises a team of writers and teachers who understand the writing process inside and out. Since 2009, Wow has been leading the college admissions industry with their unique approach to communicating messages effectively through application essays, including personal statements, activity and short-answer essays, and supplements. From Farmington Hills, Michigan, Kim is also a board member of the Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling.

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The New York Times

Nicholas kristof | winning student essays on bullying.

Winning Student Essays on Bullying

My Thursday column is about the winners in my essay contest about bullying, but the column is too short to publish more than excerpts there. So here are the full versions of the winning essays.

But first, a thanks to my partners in this effort. Teen Ink, a magazine for teenage writing, was hugely helpful in sifting through all 1,200 submissions and narrowing them to 59 finalists for me to go through along with my assistant, Natalie Kitroeff. Stephanie and John Meyer of Teen Ink offered important suggestions for how to run the contest and a digest of important themes that resonated through the many submissions. Some writing about bullying can also be seen on Teen Ink’s website and here at The New York Times Learning Network , as well as on Harvard Education School’s Ed. magazine.

Now here are the winning essays:

Teenage Girls; the Cruel Super Humans from Outer Space By Lena Rawley, 17, from Montclair, N.J.

Teenage girls are cruel super-humans from a distant galaxy sent here to destroy us all. They have the self entitlement of a celebrity heiress and the aggression of a Roman Gladiator. Like vampires they feed off the blood of the weak. They’re pubescent monsters. Adolescent boogeymen.

While my observations may be coming from a point of bias, that doesn’t mean they are faulty in accuracy. As a teenage girl myself, I think I know teenage girls quite well. Not only was I a former teenage mean girl, but I was tortured, tormented, isolated and socially maimed by them as well.

When they acquire a target, teenage girls, with the determination of a private assassin, will stop at nothing to take down their target. They’re relentless. They’re cruel. Their methods are insane. They are never to be underestimated. In middle school, I made the mistake of underestimating the power of these skinny jean clad monsters. I thought I was safe, I thought myself impervious to their cruelty. I watched them do on to others as they would later do on to me, and felt no fear. I was a fool however, for teenage girls pick their targets by familiarity. They are less likely to torment someone small and insignificant and more likely to viciously turn on their friends. Preferably the weakest link in their group, prey who is easy for them to catch and take down.

I was the weakest link. I was the wounded gazelle. And thus, I became their target. It was eerie because, when my eventual demise began, I had no idea what was going on. Yes it was slightly fishy that they had stopped calling me, stopped saying hi to me in the hallway, but I assumed it was just nothing. Again, I was wrong.

Once the period of silence came to a close, all hell broke loose. Vicious rumors began spreading around and dirty looks and foul words were thrown my way in the hall. I was forced off the lunch table and into social leprosy. Exactly a week after phase two (social alienation) had began I received an email from the ringleader of the group. I opened it up to reveal a headline that bluntly stated, “Fifty Reason Why We Can’t Be Friends With You.” Underneath the headline, as promised, were neatly fifty reasons, ranging from my body to my personality to my clothes, that clearly stated the reason for my alienation.

I felt sick.

But I wasn’t going to let them get me. Those hyenas didn’t deserve my tears. I deleted the note, picked up the pieces and moved on. I found friends who were kind and accepting. Friends who wouldn’t devour their own. My experience, while evidently not ideal, is something I would not change. I don’t see it as a stain upon the fabric of my life, but more like an embellishment. A decorative brooch I wear with pride, a brooch that cries, I overcame bullying, so can you.

Too Late By Alyssa Ahrens, 17, Indiana

A young girl walked through her high school halls, clutching a book tightly against her stomach, as if it were a shield. She has her hair loose, allowing the tendrils of it to gather by the sides of her face. Another shield. She stares pointedly at the floor, taking quick, hushed steps as she reaches the stairs. Gingerly, she climbs up them one step at a time, looking about her for that frighteningly familiar face. She feels the clamor of the students around her, brushing past her, fighting their way through the crowded hallways.

The world turns into blurs around her as she sights a face at the top of the stairs, lounging against the corner in the stairwell, smiling as it recognizes its prey.

It’s too late to turn around. It’s too late to hurry past. She’s been spotted… Too late. Too late. Too late. Hands grab her book, and she is pulled to the corner. Cruel eyes crinkle in laughter. No words are spoken.

In the breath of a moment, the girl’s hands are empty, flailing in the air for purchase as she is tumbling, falling backward. Her head meets a sharp corner, her hand hits the wall with a sharp crack. With pain erupting in her, she slides down the rest of the steps.

She hears something skidding across the floor by her head. It is her book. Her useless shield.

There is one more flash of that gloating smile before it rounds the stairs.

A few kids glance at her. One hands her book to her and gives her a hand up. The girl takes a quick inventory. Her hand hurts, head is throbbing, and ankle is on fire.

Nothing broken.

She is pushed forward by the teacher behind her, her voice chiming “Time to get to class,” methodically. This girl is me. Just another student. Just another victim.

For 8 years, this is the world I have lived in. For 8 years, I have skipped lunch to get to the safety of the library, bury myself in books, and count the days till graduation. As of today, it is 64. I used to have five very close friends, friends who endured the same Hell as I did. Every day. Words like bullets, raining down upon you till there is nothing left. Those words hurt me worse than getting shoved down a flight of stairs ever did. Those words, that smile.. those are what make me wake up at night screaming. Those are what I see when I look in the mirror. Nothing. Worthless. Loser. Sometimes they told us we were better off dead.

Two of my friends followed their advice. One never saw the age of 14, the other never got his license. Never say that they are just words. Don’t think it’s our confidence that is the problem. It is the bullies.

It’s too late for me. Too late for a lot of kids. Nothing will undo the years I have spent questioning what I did wrong. But for millions of other kids, it isn’t too late.

Bullying starts early and gets worse. Tackle it in elementary school. It isn’t cute. It doesn’t mean that the girl likes that boy or vice versa. It is bullying. It is dangerous. And it needs to be stopped. Before it’s too late.

My Hurt By Madison Jaronski, 15, New Hope, Penn.

Tears have been flooding down my face; breathing is a task that now seems impossible. I draw my legs closer and closer into my chest as I try to transform the pressure into reassuring comfort. I begin to slowly rock myself and by now my tears have colored my pillow black. The lights are off and no one is home to hear my helpless cries. Thoughts are running mindlessly through my brain but the only word I manage to create is why. Why me? Why has this happened to me? Why has all of this happened in one year? One year. Those thoughts only seem to make me cry even louder. All the memories from past incidents now rush to my mind and I am now consumed, lost in my own sea of tears with nothing or no one to be my boat to take me to shore.

I honestly can’t recall how long I lay there that night. Any sense of time has vanished months ago for me because it does not matter what time or day it is: I knew I would be bullied. As I reflect upon this year, all of my accomplishments and enjoyable moments are overshadowed by the pain and harassment that was thrust upon me. Just looking at my surface, you would see, a confident young woman, as sturdy as a rock. You would never think that I was broken, broken into a million pieces like shattered glass, all because of the work of a group of senior boys. You would never think that I have starved myself multiple times due to my desire to fade into the backdrop of the world.

Whenever I build up the strength to tell someone about this year, I get the same old fake response “Oh my, how horrible, I am so sorry. But don’t worry, I have been bullied too so I understand.” The thing is though; that statement is never comforting because right then I think “Really… You have been verbally attacked while walking in your hometown and school? You have been betrayed by some of your closest friends? Spent many late nights to early mornings crying yourself to sleep? You have been publicly harassed? And still at the end of all of it, got blamed for every last thing too?” Nobody ever answers “yes” back. Never.

I hope I just took some of you back and made you realize that bullying is specific. No two acts of bullying are the same because bullying is always personal, always meant to strike home with that individual person, to make that individual feel as if she is completely worthless to the world. That is what a group of senior boys did to me this year, and I only got through this year because I had my closest friend right by my side, a beacon through this storm.

No Escape By Paulina Puskala, 17, Marquette, Mich.

Bullying, an unfortunate but seemingly inevitable human activity, has scattered itself through societies since the beginning of time. Cavemen participated perhaps in more extreme equivalents such as stoning each other, while modern businessmen call each other idiots on national television. The term “bully” refers to that three year old “meanie” at daycare who steals juice boxes, as well as the friend of that one guy’s cousin who stole that one girl’s chemistry partner’s boyfriend. The term “bullying” covers a broad, complicated spectrum of activities, but really boils down to this: placing an undeserving individual/group under a microscope, shredding it apart, and making it feel as small and insignificant as possible. Despite the more recent pushes to end bullying in schools, this atrocity is nothing new to our educational institutions. Fifty years ago, one kid – angry at another for reasons no different than today – proceeded to beat him up beneath the monkey bars. Twenty minutes and a bloody nose later, the assaulter escaped the principal’s office with a warning before dawdling back to class. A swing of a fist nowadays, the assaulter lands in the hands of the cops pending expulsion. More extreme consequences keep physical bullying at bay, but kids find other ways to vent anger, and it is no cliché that words cause more pain than actions. Problems soon forgotten after a bit of innocent wrestling now drag on with extra name calling to make up for it.

Bullying once stayed within the confines of school property. Victims dreaded leaving home in the morning to attend eight-hour long torture sessions, but looked forward to returning to safety at night. Today unfortunately, technology-enabled bullies contain the ability to harass 24/7, right at their fingertips. Upon leaving school kids hold the ability to bombard and be bombarded with texts, instant messages, and social media. Stomach-churning words once expected between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. now stab without warning at any hour. Youth don’t feel safe in their own beds at night. “Just turn off the phone” is easy to say, but knowing that a profanity-spewing message is sitting right there ready to read does no good.

Today’s problem isn’t so much the bullying itself – bullying has been around for centuries. The problem is that it is difficult to escape it. Evenings, weekends, and family vacations once free from peers are now engulfed in the stress of unlimited communication. Unlimited communication no doubt has its benefits, but because it, no matter what the hour or location, it’s near impossible to be free. Despite campaigning, bullying itself won’t become extinct, but the safety felt by victims can be increased. Technology – a prominent form of bullying – can be limited. Parents can limit the use of technological features such as texting and social media while encouraging and modeling healthy habits: the dinner table and bed are no place for a cell phone. Communication is essential, but the inability to leave stress at school even at night has caused our youth big problems.

Thanks to all who participated, and congratulations to the winners. Please post any comments here. And I’m interested in the idea of other contests like this one, so if you have suggestions for topics, let me know here.

What's Next

This powerful essay about a painful childhood memory got a student into 14 colleges including Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton

We all have memories from our childhood that we'd likely rather forget. Sometimes it's those very same painful life lessons that have the most lasting impact on your world view.

Recent Harvard University graduate Soa Andrian used one of her childhood memories as a jumping-off point on her college admissions essay.

She told the story of a visit to Antananarivo, Madagascar, where she has relatives, and of an impending incident of bullying. A deeply personal story, at first she was going to write about something a little less private.

"My original common app essay was about a poster presentation I made at a summer program and what I learned about being less shy," Andrian said via email to Business Insider. "But it felt disingenuous. I think it felt disingenuous because I wrote what I thought admissions committees would want to see — a little humility by sharing an insecurity, but a small one that ultimately was easy to overcome."

Ultimately, she wrote about her more personal experience, and it certainly paid off. In addition to Harvard, she gained acceptances to Brown University, UChicago, Columbia, The University of Florida, Johns Hopkins, the University of Miami, MIT, Northwestern, UPenn, Princeton, Rice University, Stanford, and WashU.

Andrian's other impressive stats are included on her Admitsee profile . AdmitSee is an education startup that has 60,000 profiles of students who have been accepted into college with their test scores and other data points for prospective students to browse.

Andrian graciously shared her admissions essay with Business Insider, which we've reprinted verbatim below.

Four boys stood above me on a pile of garbage. Their words, "Bota, bota, matava" — "chubby", "fatty" suffocated me:

A familiar sensation of frustration and hurt gripped me. Looking for defense I only saw a cinderblock at my feet, impossible for my eight year old body to heave, so, I screamed in English:

"You are just jealous that you are poor and I am American!"

As the words flew out of my mouth, I knew I was wrong — there was no sense of triumphant satisfaction. I abruptly turned and ran into the refuge of my aunt's home.

Related stories

Upon finishing a tearful narrative to my aunt and father, I preferred the comfort of the former's arms. I avoided my father's disappointment: I knew as well as he did, that I was not the victim.

Later, my hysteria subdued and guilt temporarily forgotten, I ventured outside to explore the crevices of Antananarivo. The boys were still playing atop the rubbish, then seeing me, scrambled off their mountain and ran in the opposite direction.

It's okay, I thought, I wouldn't be a fan of me either.

As I began walking up the street, I heard shouts:

"Wait, wait!"

The boys caught up to me and proudly waved hundred ariary bills in my face. In their broken English, they said in earnest and without malice,

"Look! We are not poor! We have money! We are Amreekan too!"

I agreed they were right and smiled sadly: one US dollar was the equivalent to seven thousand Malagasy ariary.

I was made sharply aware of what separated me from these children: oceans, experience, money. Politics, ignorance, the apathy of millions. Ironically, it was also the first time I belonged to my "motherland". I could share in the simple joy of relishing what "is", be proud of the sense of resourcefulness engendered by scarcity.

This memory has woven itself into my philosophy and my dreams. The very personal knowledge that millions live in a way such that electric toothbrushes are an unfathomable luxury (my cousin, Aina), has given me the following personal rules:

• Education is an opportunity, not a burden;
• You always have enough to share.

While I may not be certain of my future, I know for certain that I want to serve. I realize that service is as important an aspect of education as is academic work. I know this passion will follow me throughout my life and manifest itself in my actions at Harvard. This memory is a mandate to serve indiscriminately and without prejudice towards those I work with. I am all the more willing to cooperate to bring improvement to the community within the College and beyond the campus. I can bring innovation in problem solving born out of the deep desire to help others. I work for these boys, for all the proud Malagasy (and even those who are not proud to be Malagasy), and the children who cherish "what is" instead of mourning "what could be".

Watch: Asian-American groups are saying that affirmative action hurts their chances to get into Ivy League schools

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Essay on Bullying

Here we have shared the Essay on Bullying in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 300, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Bullying in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or answer writing for competitive exams. 

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Bullying in 150 words

Essay on bullying in 250-300 words, essay on bullying in 500-1000 words.

Bullying is a serious issue that affects individuals of all ages, particularly in schools and online platforms. It involves repeated aggressive behavior aimed at causing harm, imbalance of power, and psychological distress to the victim. Bullying can take various forms, such as physical, verbal, or relational aggression.

The consequences of bullying are significant and long-lasting. Victims often experience emotional and psychological trauma, leading to decreased self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation. Bullying also creates an unhealthy and hostile environment, impacting the overall well-being of individuals and hindering their ability to thrive and learn.

To combat bullying, it is crucial to raise awareness, promote empathy, and foster a culture of respect and inclusivity. Schools and communities should implement anti-bullying policies and provide support systems for both victims and perpetrators. Education on the effects of bullying and the importance of kindness and empathy can help prevent and address this issue effectively. It is everyone’s responsibility to stand up against bullying and create a safe and nurturing environment for all individuals.

Bullying is a harmful and pervasive issue that involves repeated aggressive behavior aimed at causing harm, distress, and power imbalance. It manifests in various forms such as physical, verbal, or relational aggression, primarily affecting individuals in schools.

The consequences of bullying are significant and far-reaching. Victims often experience emotional and psychological trauma, leading to decreased self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and, in extreme cases, suicidal ideation. Bullying not only impacts individual victims but also creates an unhealthy environment that hampers overall well-being and learning.

To combat bullying effectively, awareness and prevention strategies are essential. Raising awareness about the nature and consequences of bullying among students, teachers, parents, and communities is crucial. Implementing comprehensive anti-bullying policies in schools, defining bullying, establishing reporting mechanisms, and imposing appropriate consequences for perpetrators is necessary. Fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and inclusivity can prevent bullying and create a safer environment.

Support systems should be in place for both victims and bullies. Victims need access to counseling and resources to cope with the effects of bullying. Intervention programs and counseling can help bullies develop empathy, address underlying issues, and learn alternative behaviors.

Collaboration between schools, parents, and communities is vital. Open communication, encouraging reporting, and proactive measures are necessary to create a positive and safe environment.

In conclusion, bullying is a harmful issue with severe consequences for individuals and communities. By raising awareness, implementing policies, fostering a culture of respect and empathy, and providing support, we can combat bullying effectively. Together, we can create a society where bullying is not tolerated, and individuals can thrive in safe and inclusive environments.

Title: Bullying – The Menace That Demands Immediate Attention

Introduction :

Bullying is a persistent and alarming issue that plagues individuals across various environments, with schools being a common breeding ground for such behavior. This essay aims to explore the definition and types of bullying, its detrimental effects on victims, the underlying causes, the role of bystanders, and the strategies required to effectively address and prevent bullying.

I. Definition and Types of Bullying

Bullying is a form of repeated and intentional aggression characterized by a power imbalance, where the bully seeks to cause harm, distress, and domination over the victim. It can take various forms, including physical aggression, verbal abuse, relational manipulation, and cyberbullying.

II. Detrimental Effects of Bullying

Bullying has severe consequences for the mental, emotional, and social well-being of victims. It can lead to decreased self-esteem, anxiety, depression, academic decline, school avoidance, and in extreme cases, suicidal ideation or attempts. The long-lasting effects of bullying extend beyond the immediate victim, creating a hostile and unhealthy environment for all individuals involved.

III. Underlying Causes of Bullying

Several factors contribute to the development of bullying behavior. These may include family dynamics, exposure to aggression or violence, a desire for power and control, low empathy levels, and a lack of appropriate social skills. Additionally, societal factors such as media influence and cultural norms may indirectly support or perpetuate bullying behavior.

IV. The Role of Bystanders

Bystanders play a significant role in the bullying dynamic. They can either reinforce the bully’s behavior by passively observing or actively participating, or they can intervene and support the victim. Creating a culture where bystanders feel empowered to speak up against bullying and report incidents is crucial in addressing this issue.

V. Strategies to Address and Prevent Bullying

A. awareness and education, b. establishing clear policies and consequences, c. encouraging reporting and support, d. empathy and social-emotional learning, e. involving the community.

Raising awareness about the detrimental effects of bullying and its various forms is essential. Educational institutions should implement comprehensive anti-bullying programs that educate students, teachers, and parents about the signs of bullying, its impact, and the importance of intervention.

Schools should have well-defined anti-bullying policies that outline the definition of bullying, reporting procedures, and consequences for perpetrators. These policies should be communicated effectively to all stakeholders to create a safe and inclusive environment.

Creating a safe reporting system where victims and witnesses feel comfortable reporting incidents is crucial. Offering support and counseling services for victims, as well as intervention programs for bullies, helps address the underlying issues and promote behavioral change.

Integrating empathy and social-emotional learning programs into the curriculum can foster a culture of respect, kindness, and empathy. Teaching students how to manage emotions, develop healthy relationships, and resolve conflicts peacefully can prevent bullying behavior.

Engaging parents, community members, and local organizations in anti-bullying initiatives fosters a collective effort in addressing this issue. Collaboration between schools, families, and communities is essential to create a comprehensive and sustained approach to bullying prevention.

Conclusion :

Bullying is a deeply concerning issue that inflicts significant harm on individuals and communities. By raising awareness, implementing clear policies, fostering empathy, involving bystanders, and providing support, we can effectively address and prevent bullying. It is our collective responsibility to create safe and inclusive environments where every individual can thrive without fear of aggression or harm. Through concerted efforts, we can eradicate bullying and cultivate a society built on respect, empathy, and equality.

154 Bullying Topics & Bullying Essay Examples

Looking for an exciting research topic about bullying? This problem is very controversial, sensitive, and definitely worth studying

🏆 Top 10 Bullying Topics for Research Papers

📃 bullying essay: writing tips, 🏆 best bullying topics to write about, ⚡ most shocking bullying topics to write about, ✅ simple & easy shocking bullying essay titles, ✍️ bullying essay topics for college, ❓ research questions about bullying.

Examples of bullying can be found everywhere: in schools, workplaces, and even on the Internet (in the form of cyberbullying).

In this article, we’ve collected top bullying research paper topics and questions, as well as bullying essay samples and writing tips. Get inspired with us!

• Direct and indirect bullying: compare & contrast
• The causes of bullying
• Classroom bullying and its effects
• Social isolation as a form of bullying
• Bullying and academic performance
• Passive and active victims of bullying: compare and contrast
• The role of social agencies in bullying prevention
• Public policy for bullying and aggression
• Bullying behavior and psychological health
• Aggressive children and their family background

A bullying essay is a popular assignment in various subjects, including psychology, sociology, and education. Writing an excellent paper on the matter requires more than just in-depth research and planning. Don’t worry; there are some tips that will make writing an essay on bullying much easier:

• Choose a topic that allows analyzing and interpreting the problem. Instead of merely describing what bullying is, try to dig deeper into its causes, consequences, and solutions. If your professor didn’t suggest any topics, you may research bullying essay topics online and select one that would be exciting for you to explore.
• Read sample articles and papers online to see how other students approached the subject. Notice the bits that work and don’t work, and write them out to make the process of creating your essay easier. If you’re struggling with finding enough examples online, you may want to expand your search to discrimination essay topics and materials.
• Research what scholars say about bullying. Articles in scholarly journals are an excellent source of information because they are usually trustworthy. If you’re still in school, your ability to navigate the library or online databases will also impress your tutor. As you start researching, you will find that there is a great variety of studies, and it’s challenging to find the relevant ones. Narrowing down your search would help you to do that. For instance, if you are writing a cyber bullying essay, try searching for social media bullying or online anti-bullying services.
• Include real-life experiences where relevant. Unfortunately, bullying is a common problem in many institutions, and if you haven’t experienced it, your friends or family members probably have. If your tutor allows personal input, explore real-life experiences with bullying. Note the effects, preventive measures that worked or didn’t work, and what a person used to cope with bullying. If personal input is not allowed, you could ask your friends or relatives for ideas and then find high-quality sources that discuss similar problems.
• If you can, be creative about it! A powerful bullying essay example draws from a variety of sources to present material in a creative way and engage readers. Hence, this might be an excellent opportunity for you to include images or graphs in your paper. For example, anti-bullying posters could complement the sections of your work that talks about solutions to the problem. Quotes about bullying coming from famous persons would also be influential, especially if you include them at the beginning of your piece. If you like drawing or painting, you could try to put some of your ideas in graphic form – this will definitely earn you some extra marks! Just make sure to check with your tutor to see whether or not creative input is allowed.
• Structure your paper well to avoid gaps or inconsistencies. It would be beneficial to create a detailed bullying essay outline before you start working. A typical essay should include an introduction, two to three main paragraphs, and a conclusion. The first paragraph of your work should consist of some background information, whereas the last one should restate the points and close up the paper. A good bullying essay introduction should also feature a thesis statement that shows what the piece is about.

These tips will help you to write top-notch essays on bullying, as well as on related subjects. Don’t forget to browse our blog some more to find other helpful materials, including essay titles!

• The Problem of Bullying and Possible Solutions In general, bullying is a critical and complex issue prevailing among children; thus, it is essential to adopt different solutions to tackle it.
• Cyber Bullying Issue Therefore, the goal of this paper is to analyse who the victims of cyber bullying are and the influence it has on them.
• Bullying and Child Development Bullying is one of the common vices in schools that influences a lot of growth and development of children. Bullying also affects the ability of children to concentrate in school because they are always on […]
• The Impact of Workplace Bullying The negative impacts of bullying in the workplace develop as a result of ignorance among employees regarding the vice, unreported cases, as well as the negligence of organizational leaders.
• Bullying and Its Effects in Society Secondary research is critical in the development of a background to the research, which helps in determining the validity of the problem and suggested research methodologies.
• Bullying in School Face-to-face bullying is an interesting area of study because it clearly demonstrates bullying in school. Students consider bullying as a school culture even though it is contrary to the school rules and regulations of schools.
• Social Influence on Bullying in Schools The theory helps us to understand why the stronger members of the school population are likely to “rule” over the weaker members of the school as described in the social hierarchy concept in the theory.
• School Bullying and Moral Development The middle childhood is marked by the development of basic literacy skills and understanding of other people’s behavior that would be crucial in creating effective later social cognitions. Therefore, addressing bullying in schools requires strategies […]
• Cyber Bullying and Positivist Theory of Crime Learning theory approaches to the explanation of criminal behavior have been associated with one of the major sociological theories of crime, the differential association theory.
• Bullying and Cyberbullying in Modern Society Cyberbullying among adolescents and teenagers is defined as the purposeful and repetitive harm done by one or more peers in cyberspace as a result of using digital devices and social media platforms.
• Character Traits of Bullying Despite the fact that such characteristics may differ from child to child, it is the common feature of difference that makes the target children get noticed by the bullies.
• Social Psychological Concepts of Bullying and Its Types Some of the factors that contribute to bullying include poor parenting, economic challenges, lack of mentorship, and jealousy among others. One of the main concepts used to explain bullying is that of parenting roles and […]
• The Issue of Bullying in the Schools It gives me joy to know that the issue of bullying is now a pubic affair since bullying stories were unheard of when I was growing up.
• Bullying and Harassment in the Healthcare Workplace This paper is written to explore the origins of discrimination and harassment in the healthcare workplace. Bullying begins early in medical college and residencies; it has been referred to as an element of the learning […]
• Cyber-Bullying Is a Crime: Discussion It is easy to see the effects of cyber-bullying but it is hard to find out who is the bully making it hard for authorities to pin the blame on the perpetrator of a crime […]
• Workplace Bullying and Its Impact on Performance Workplace bullying refers to a deliberate, repeated, and continuous mistreatment of a worker or a group of workers by one or more colleagues in the workplace.
• Bullying as a Relational Aggression This resistance has been one of the obstacles to eliminating the cyber bullying in the schools. Schools and districts have been involved in the Challenge Day activities where children are advised on how to handle […]
• Is Cyber Bullying Against Teenagers More Detrimental Than Face-To-Face Bullying? Social networking has also contributed greatly to the issue of cyber bullying especially in making it more harmful as compared to face-to-face bullying.
• School Bullying: Causes and Police Prevention It is for this reason that there has been need for the intervention of the community and the government to address the issue of bullying schools lest the school environment becomes the worst place to […]
• Incivility, Violence, and Bullying in the Healthcare Workplace The following step is to gather the team and communicate the necessity of change, assigning some individuals for the positions related to the change, in other terms, a support team.
• Verbal Bullying at School: How It Should Be Stopped This paper highlights some of the best practices that can be used by teachers in order to address this problem. So, this information can be of great benefit to them.
• Discouraging and Eliminating Cyber Bullying Resources Role of the resource/input Statement forms To facilitate information transfer to the staff Counseling Personnel To arm students against the problem Bullying report system To create efficient internet enhance report system Regulation implementation documents […]
• Bullying in the Workplace Organizational leaders have an ethical obligation to ensure that they deal with cases of bullying within the workplace in a professional manner that demonstrates equality, honesty, and high sensitivity to the needs of others.
• Cyber Bullying as a Virtual Menace The use of information and communication technologies to support a deliberate and most of the time repeated hostile behavior by an individual or groups of people with the sole intention of harming others, one is […]
• Bullying, Its Forms, and Counteractions In addition, it is necessary to support those at the center of this bullying, as this can protect them from harmful effects and consequences.
• Bullying Through Social Media: Research Proposal The hypothesis of the study is as follows: the role of adolescents in a cyberbullying situation is interconnected with their psychological characteristics.
• School Bullying: Methods for Managing the Problem The investigation of relevant studies on the methods for stopping school bullying reveals that the most effective ways of eliminating this type of behavior include providing training for teachers, encouraging students to participate in the […]
• The Effects of Cyber-Bullying and Cyber-Stalking on the Society In particular, one should focus on such issues as the disrespect for a person’s autonomy, the growing intensity of domestic violence and deteriorating mental health in the country.
• Bullying and Suicide Among Teenagers Specific objectives Analyze the causes of bullying among teenagers in the country Analyze the effects of bullying among victims, perpetrators and by-standers Analyze the relationship between bullying in school and suicide among teenagers in the […]
• The Essence of Bullying: Healthy Societal Relations The aggressor frequently abuses the victim’s lower social standing to gain control of the situation and cause harm, which is another characteristic of the phenomenon.
• Bullying: Violence in Children and Adolescents Bullying is one of the most common manifestations of peer violence in children and adolescents. Prevention of bullying, cyberbullying included, has to occur in accordance with the IBSE Standards of social and emotional learning.
• Effective Ways to Deal With Bullying in US Schools Teachers should ensure the bully is aware of the improper behavior, why it is improper, and the repercussions of the behavior.
• The Gay Teen Suicide & Bullying The article explains that the ones who survive may have access to extensive facilities, support, and status beyond their world of bullies, which sounds reasonable for me.
• Bullying in Nursing: Preventive Measures The prevention of bullying within the workplace is the responsibility of the leaders and managers. One of the significant principles which the leaders can implement is the behavioral code for the employees.
• Network Bullying: School Policy Framework The first step is to have a careful conversation with the student and an assessment by the school psychologist to ensure that there is a fright.
• How to Reduce Bullying in Senior Facilities One of the main reasons an individual may commit suicide due to bullying is because it may make an individual develop a negative self-image after the bullying incident. Some of the major bullying incidences that […]
• Active Shooter and Nursing Bullying Nurses should lock all doors and use tables and other objects to reinforce them to prevent any possibility of the active shooter getting to the patients’ room.
• Racist Bullying Among Black Students in US Universities This research focuses on the impact of bullying and racism among African American students in the country. What are the impacts of bullying and racism among Black students in U.S.universities?
• Bullying and Autism Spectrum Disorder In fact, bullying as a social phenomenon can be characterized as a social and interaction issue; therefore, it is possible to analyze the connection between autism and acts of bullying and inappropriate behavior.
• Eliminating the Problem of Online Bullying Eliminating the problem of online bullying is vital for improving the mental health of adolescents and young adults and allowing them to build their lives free of adverse external influences. It is possible to see […]
• Sexual Bullying in Schools and Its Influence The author states the difference in the mental and physical maturation of girls and boys as one of the core roots of the issue.
• Bullying in Healthcare and Its Consequences Nancy was big and the manager used that to tease her every opportunity she got. It was important to confront the bully and support the victim.
• The ABC Model of Crisis: Bullying at School The next step is the identification of the nature of the crisis, and thus questions are as follows: Who is bullying you?
• Queer (LGBT) Teenage Bullying at School The importance of this source to the research is associated with the significant role that youth organizations have to play towards minimizing bullying among LGBT students.
• Bullying of Children: Misconceptions and Preventive Measures As a result, the density of shows and articles devoted to bullying creates an illusion that this event appears more often than it does in reality.
• Bullying Behavior and Impact of Hegemonic Masculinity Rosen and Nofziger applied a quantitative research design to explore the relationships between students’ bullying experiences and race, age, and socioeconomic status and identify the frequency of bullying.
• Bullying and Incivility in Clinical Setting The problem of bullying and incivility in a clinical setting can negatively affect the quality of care provided, so it needs to be managed.
• Bullying and Its Influences on a Person It is common for victims of bullying to develop mental health issues, as they were placed in stressful situations and had a constant fear along with depression in some cases. Making friends is one of […]
• Overview of the Problem of Bullying Undoubtedly, there is no way each person would be able to share and divide their opinion with everyone else because people are not identical, and they tend to have various perspectives.
• Bullying on Social Media Platforms It is consistent and repeating, taking advantage of the Internet’s anonymity with the main goal to anger, scare, or shame a victim.
• “Bullying in Schools”: The Aspects of Bullying In their article, Menesini and Salmivalli examine the current state of knowledge on the topic and thoroughly discuss all of the aspects of bullying.
• Moral Development and Bullying in Children The understanding of moral development following the theories of Kohlberg and Gilligan can provide useful solutions to eliminating bullying in American schools.
• Analysis of Bullying and Parenting Style Since the given topic usually refers to children and adolescents, it is evident that their parents hold a portion of responsibility because the adults affect the growth and development of young individuals.
• Hate Crimes – Bullying More than two-thirds of children and adolescents experience bullying and more than one-fourth of them report extreme forms of coercion.
• Bullying Management: Mass Awareness Program Bulletin.”Teachers, trained to help to rebuild trust, confidence, growth, and commitment through mass awareness to arrest bullying in high schools”. The proposed mass action program is meant to promote awareness on the need to stop […]
• An Anti-Bullying Program Integrated With PRAISE by Ackerman I chose to describe bullying because of the importance of the topic and due to my personal interest in it. Education will eliminate most of the reasons for bullying and provide students with the E […]
• Bullying Through Social Media: Methods An Informed Consent Document will be provided to participants prior to the research, explaining the purpose of the study and promising to protect their identity.
• Bullying Through Social Media In particular, inequality in the position of the persecutor and the victim is evident – the aggressor can be anonymous, and there can be many of them.
• Bullying of Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic Then, the principles of adult learning will be used to develop and implement an information product to improve the nursing workforce’s bullying awareness and the knowledge of healthy conflict resolution in the workplace.
• Bullying in Healthcare Organizations: Impact on Nursing Practice Bullying in business entities is a common phenomenon, but the extent of its influence on the “production process” in healthcare and medicine institutions is only beginning to be recognized.
• Workplace Bullying Among Nurses in the Acute Setting Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of conflicts between nurses and their colleagues and managers has increased significantly in my workplace.
• Bullying Perpetration Among School-Aged Children Mucherah et al.examined how the school climate and teachers’ sanctions against bullying relate to the risk of becoming a victim or perpetrator of bullying.
• Programming for a Year 5 Class on Bullying As a result, in Lesson 6, they will offer their project addressing bullying behaviour and present it to their class, which is the main aim of the Unit Plan.
• Injury and Violence Prevention: – Bullying The aim of preventing injury and violence from bullying is to enable the student to have a healthy social and physical life that will enable them to perform well in their studies and live healthily.
• Cyber-Bullying vs. Traditional Bullying: Its Psychological Effects The researchers presented the recent statistics in order to illustrate the negative social and psychological effects of cyber-bullying in contrast to the traditional bullying in schools.
• Bullying in the Workplace Old Nurse to New Nurse This unvoiced scourge in nursing is characteristically encouraged by the need of bullies to have a total control of a person. Resignation of nurses due to bullying can lead to shortage of nurses in hospitals.
• Bullying and Peer Abuse Especially at work, targets fear coming to work and this will have an adverse result in the efficiency of the staff in the hospital.
• Bullying in the Nursing Workplace Bullying in the nursing workplace, in this case, causes the one bullied to have a feeling of defenselessness and takes away the nurses’ right to dignity at his or her workplace.
• Cyberbullying and Bullying: Similarities While deciding on fitting and balanced sanctions, it is vital to reflect on the ways in which cyberbullying events differ in effect in comparison to other forms of bullying.
• Protection From Bullying: Methods That Work Because of this, it is vital that parents, teachers, and guardians educate themselves on the nature of bullying and work together to develop effective methods and strategies that would help to overcome the problem.
• Psychology: Social Media and Bullying The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issue of social media and bullying and express the author’s opinion on the matter.
• Bullying of LGBTQ Students in American Schools The chosen article focuses on the issue of bullying of LGBTQ students in American schools and its legal repercussions. The author shows that students who are openly gay or bi, as well as those who […]
• Workplace Bullying and Its Impact on People and Society The paper follows a traditional structure with the introduction and body paragraphs that provide essential information devoted to the problem, and improve the understanding of the concept of bullying.
• “Bullying Behavior Among Radiation Therapists” by Johnson and Trad The literature review encompassed a considerable number of sources pertinent to the study and recent enough to be relevant; all the publications were dated within the last fifteen years.
• Human Rights Issues in Australia: Bullying Among School-Going Age and Young People The focus of the topic of the day is on bullying. It is used to prevent or avoid the occurrence of a bullying experience.
• Bullying and Worker’s Harassment in Western Australia In most of the armed services in Australia, new recruits and women are commonly the victims of bullying and harassment despite the fact that it is unacceptable.
• Aggression and Bullying in the Workplace Investigation Aggression, the effects of which are often equated with the death wish, is an instinct like any other and in natural conditions, it helps just as much as any other to ensure the survival of […]
• Bullying: History and Mechanisms for Prevention Students are encouraged to not participate in bullying and to help prevent bullying of others through positive social reactions to incidences of bullying” and Sharing of Scenarios: “Each group will give feedback and share other […]
• Behaviour Management: Bullying The typical behaviors which I saw in the child who got bullied are: The victim of this bullying is physically weak and a soft-natured one.
• Conflict Resolution Tactics and Bullying This study is interesting to the extent that it shows how the social environment impacts the development of a child and how it shapes his or her conflict resolution techniques.
• School Bullying: Case Analysis Even today there is no generally accepted definition of bullying but it is thought that when an individual is for a long period of time is exposed to repeat negative actions and behavior by one […]
• Bullying in the Workplace as a Psychological Harassment Another form of bullying in the workplace is physical assault in the sense that if the workers are not at ease with each other and when the rules and regulations are not at all observed, […]
• “Adolescents’ Perception of Bullying” by Frisen et al. The second and the third aims of the study were “to describe how adolescents perceive bullies” and “to describe what adolescents believe to be important in order to stop bullying”, respectively.
• The Long Term Effects of Bullying in Elementary School Wolke and Lereya argue that the problem is that the majority of studies on bullying are cross-sectional and only use follow-ups after a short period of time.
• Anti-Bullying and Work Quality Improvement Initiative Given the specifics of the work of nurses, conflicts of this kind negatively affect both the whole process of work and the health of patients in particular.
• Workplace Bullying, Salivary Cortisol and Long-Term Sickness Absence The purpose of this cohort-based study was to investigate the extent to which cortisol levels were associated with sickness absence and the relationships between workplace bullying and sickness absence through the prism of cortisol use.
• Workplace Bullying in Australia It is possible to offer several recommendations that can reduce the risk of bullying in organisations. In this case, more attention should be paid to the absence of mechanisms that can protect the victims of […]
• Domestic Violence and Bullying in Schools It also states the major variables related to bullying in schools. They will confirm that social-economic status, gender, and race can contribute to bullying in schools.
• Staff Training as a Solution to Workplace Bullying Furthermore, it has an appeal to logos as the writer has facts about the prevalence of workplace bullying in the USA.
• The “Bully-Free” Initiative: Bullying in Education The students need to have a clear idea that bullying goes against the rules of the school and which actions may be considered bullying.
• Free Speech vs. Bullying Laws One of the topical aspects of modern democracy is the freedom of speech expressed in an ability to come up with personal ideas and the lack of restrictions on the right of expression through publicity.
• Gender and Bullying Issues in Nursing A lack of tolerance for workplace harassment and bullying is likely to lead to the deterioration of the situation and further misunderstanding and tension in an organization.
• Bullying and Cyberbullying Among Peers They are facing the dilemma of how to react, whether they have to fight a superior force of the enemy or to complain to teachers and parents, undermining their reputation.
• Bullying in Schools and Its Major Reasons As of now, the most important goal in research studies covering the topic of bullying in schools is to understand the mechanisms behind bullying promotion and prevention.
• Bullying in Schools: Worldwide Study and Survey The parents were asked to rate the frequency of the bullying that their children experience and to describe the experience of bullying that their children went through.
• Bullying Prevention Programs Some teachers and professors claim that their students cannot show their potential in their hobbies due to the limitations they experience because of bullies around them. As it is mentioned above, educators do not control […]
• Bullying and Its Impact Thus, the current paper is dedicated to the issue of bullying and its effects as well as anti-bullying practices as related to peer victimization.
• Fights and Bullying Among Middle School Learners Alongside the positivist philosophy, the research adopted the survey strategy that involved the use of self-administered questionnaires to collect from the participants.
• Dealing With Workplace Bullying According to the report presented by the University of Louisville, workplace bullying is a repeated action of one employee or a group of employees towards another individual or group. Dealing with bullying in the workplace […]
• Bullying Policies in Walton School District and Georgia University The sample bullying policy language in Walton School District is very similar to the language in the policy of the University of Georgia.
• Amanda Todd’s Bullying and Suicide Story She was fifteen years old, and her story created a major uproar in the press, as it showed the true nature of bullying and the effects it has on the person.
• Bullying in America: Causes and Prevention That is why it is important to pay attention to the reasons why bullying occurs and ways in which it can be reduced.
• Bullying, Facts and Countermeasures Whether it is the bully or the bullied, the parents will need to do a lot to see to it that their children are brought up in the best of the behaviors.
• Bullying as Social and Criminal Deviance The most important step in the student’s guide to research that I would need to analyze bullying is defining the topic.
• Bullying and Legislation in Australian Workplace According to the authors of the article, workplace bullying can be characterized as internal violence. According to the authors of the article, bullying is a widespread phenomenon and is a common attribute of many organizations.
• Bullying at Australian School: Causes and Solution The technological breakthrough that was witnessed in the late 90s and the early 2000s also contributed to the development of the phenomenon, sparking the concepts such as cyberbullying and online bullying.
• Workplace Bullying in The Playground Never Ends The primary reason for becoming a bully is primarily seen in fear to lose authority or formal positions in an organization and have more institutional power than that of the targets.
• Bullying and Suicide in High Schools The main limitation of this research is that the scholars surveyed the victims more often. The victims of cyberbullying also had a tendency to be depressed and contemplate suicide.
• School-Aged Children’ Bullying Behaviors It is due to this that the work of Janssen et al.sought to show just how potentially damaging this behavior could be and the potential psychological repercussions it could have on young children due to […]
• College Students: Suicide and Bullying-Methods The analysts used this tool to report the mood of the participants by posting quizzes, which the students answered while filling the questionnaire.
• Childhood Bullying and Adulthood Suicide Connection In this regard, the seriousness of the issue is depicted in research results that indicate that at least 50% of children and youth in the US have experienced bullying situations as either bullies or victims […]
• Girl-To-Girl Bullying and Mean Stinks Program The positive results can be achieved by the implementation of the multiple educational programs, the increase in public awareness, and promotion of the values of the healthy relationships.”Mean Stinks” is exactly the program with the […]
• Association of Parenting Factors With Bullying The lack of the parental support is the main cause of students’ deviant behaviors at school, including the cases of bullying, and those parents who pay much attention to developing their career cannot provide the […]
• The Problem of Workplace Bullying In particular, this paper will include the discussion of the research articles, reports and case studies that describe the causes of workplace bullying and the strategies used by companies in an effort to overcome it.
• College Students: Suicide and Bullying The misconception that bullying is a minor issue among college students has contributed to the high number of students who suffer because of bullying.
• Homosexual Students and Bullying Specifically, the section addresses the prevalence of bullying in schools and the level of bullying in bisexuals, gay males, and lesbians.
• Social Psychology of Violence and Bullying in Schools Bullying is a common phenomenon in schools and it is reported that it results in violence in learning institutions in the end.
• Bullying and Suicide: The Correlation Between Bullying and Suicide Nonetheless, the extensive research shows that the correlation exists and bullying is one of the risk factors for development of suicidal ideas in adolescents.
• Nature of Bullying In this paper, central focus is going to be on the nature of bullying of children in my hometown, Orlando Florida, how it can be solved, and most importantly; establishing the importance of having knowledge […]
• Cyber Bullying Reduction Program Table of Activities Activity Significance Assembling parents/guardians, students and teachers to announce and explain the program in the institution To enlighten parents/guardians, students and teachers about the rules and regulation enacted due to the threat […]
• Cyber Bullying Prevention in Learning Institutions: Systematic Approach To start with, the students are provided with ways of reporting their concern to the educational institution, and when the staff members of the institution receive the report, they evaluate the information together with the […]
• High School Bullying Effective Responses Emphasis will also be made on the kind of audience to read this article because the contents of this study need to be at par with other similar articles in the journal to be selected.
• Social Bullying in Jeff Cohen’s “Monster Culture” It is clear that his part of character is mostly dominant in the childhood stages, as children are not able to develop a sense of morality and predict the consequences of their actions.
• Cyber Bullying and Its Forms The difference between the conventional way of bullying and cyber bullying is that in conventional bullying, there is contact between the bully and the victim.
• Problem of Workplace Bullying Authority intervention should occur when the employees fail to respond to awareness intervention, and thus decide to continue with their behaviors.
• Problem of Childhood Bullying in Modern Society To begin with, the family which is the basic and the most important unit in the society as well as the primary socializing agent plays a major role in shaping behavior of children include bullying.
• Problem of the Managing Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace Employees in an organization have a specific role that they are supposed to play and this means that there might be shortcomings which should not lead to bullying.
• Does Bullying Cause Emotional Problems? However, the current study was relevant because of this design, for the scope of the study covered as well as the results were accurate, and the conclusions drawn were correct.
• Ban High School Bullying A number of stakeholders contribute to the high prevalence of bullying in American schools. Schools that ignore bullying are a big part of the problem and they need to be held accountable.
• The Problem of Bullying While most states in the United States of America have laws to protect people from bullying, the federal government is yet to enact an anti-bullying law.
• Ethical Case: Facebook Gossip or Cyberbullying? The best option to Paige is to apologize publicly and withdraw her comments. The final stage is to act and reflect the outcome of the choice made.
• Bullying on the Rise: Should Federal Government Enact Federal-Bullying Laws? This paper will thus use both primary and secondary data to discuss the prevalence of bullying in schools and whether the federal govern should enact federal laws to curb the social vice at school.
• Bullying in the Schools Furthermore, the law states that training should be done to the teachers as well as the other members of staff on how to deal with bullying and the law also needs the schools to report […]
• Troubled Adolescent due to Bullying His lowered self-esteem would make him to observe the common behaviours of the older boys quietly and accept the situation as a cultural practice.
• Workplace bullying: does it exist?
• What are the three key elements of bullying?
• How does bullying affect those who observe it?
• Direct and indirect bullying: what is the difference?
• What families do bullies typically come from?
• Aggressive children: what is their future?
• How to prevent bullying in schools?
• School bullying and domestic violence: is there a connection?
• Cyberbullying: how to prevent it?
• What can parents do to prevent their children from bullying?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Bullying Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on bullying.

Bullying refers to aggressive behavior so as to dominate the other person. It refers to the coercion of power over others so that one individual can dominate others. It is an act that is not one time, instead, it keeps on repeating over frequent intervals.  The person(s) who bullies others can be termed as bullies, who make fun of others due to several reasons. Bullying is a result of someone’s perception of the imbalance of power.

Types of bullying :

There can be various types of bullying, like:

• Physical bullying:  When the bullies try to physically hurt or torture someone, or even touch someone without his/her consent can be termed as physical bullying .
• Verbal bullying:  It is when a person taunts or teases the other person.
• Psychological bullying:  When a person or group of persons gossip about another person or exclude them from being part of the group, can be termed as psychological bullying.
• Cyber bullying:  When bullies make use of social media to insult or hurt someone. They may make comments bad and degrading comments on the person at the public forum and hence make the other person feel embarrassed. Bullies may also post personal information, pictures or videos on social media to deteriorate some one’s public image.

Read Essay on Cyber Bullying

Bullying can happen at any stage of life, such as school bullying, College bullying, Workplace bullying, Public Place bullying, etc. Many times not only the other persons but the family members or parents also unknowingly bully an individual by making constant discouraging remarks. Hence the victim gradually starts losing his/her self-esteem, and may also suffer from psychological disorders.

A UNESCO report says that 32% of students are bullied at schools worldwide. In our country as well, bullying is becoming quite common. Instead, bullying is becoming a major problem worldwide. It has been noted that physical bullying is prevalent amongst boys and psychological bullying is prevalent amongst girls.

Prevention strategies:

In the case of school bullying, parents and teachers can play an important role. They should try and notice the early symptoms of children/students such as behavioral change, lack of self-esteem, concentration deficit, etc. Early recognition of symptoms, prompt action and timely counseling can reduce the after-effects of bullying on the victim.

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Anti-bullying laws :

One should be aware of the anti-bullying laws in India. Awareness about such laws may also create discouragement to the act of bullying amongst children and youngsters. Some information about anti-bullying laws is as follows:

• Laws in School: To put a notice on the notice board that if any student is found bullying other students then he/she can be rusticated. A committee should be formed which can have representatives from school, parents, legal, etc.
• Laws in Colleges: The government of India, in order to prevent ragging , has created guideline called “UGC regulations on curbing the menace of ragging in Higher Education Institutions,2009”.
• Cyber Bullying Laws: The victim can file a complaint under the Indian Penal Code .

Conclusion:

It is the duty of the parents to constantly preach their children about not bullying anyone and that it is wrong. Hence, if we, as a society need to grow and develop then we have to collectively work towards discouraging the act of bullying and hence make our children feel secure.

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Persuasive Essay Writing

Persuasive Essay About Bullying

Learn How To Craft a Powerful Persuasive Essay About Bullying

Published on: Jan 24, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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Are you looking for ways to craft a powerful persuasive essay about bullying? Writing an effective and engaging persuasive essay is no easy task.

However, with some preparation and planning, it can be a piece of cake! 

From outlining strong arguments to providing examples, we will explain all details of composing a perfect persuasive essay about bullying.

So without further ado, let’s get started!

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Writing a Perfect Persuasive Essay About Bullying 

Bullying is a major issue that affects many children, teens, and adults in schools, workplaces, and other environments. 

Writing a persuasive essay about bullying can effectively raise awareness of the problem and find solutions.

Here are a few components of a persuasive essay that you should include:

• An Introduction 

Start your essay with an interesting introduction that explains the concept of bullying and its effects on those involved.

Provide evidence to support your argument using facts, statistics, and personal accounts to support your claims. 

Offer potential solutions to the problem of bullying. Focus on proposing effective solutions that can be implemented in schools and other environments where bullying is a common issue.

• Call to Action

Conclude your essay with a call to action for both victims and bystanders of bullying. Encourage them to stop it or report it when they witness it happening.

Here Is How You Can Write a Persuasive Essay About Bullying Introduction 

Writing an introduction to a persuasive essay about bullying can be challenging.

To start, it's important to understand the purpose of the introduction. It is to provide a brief overview of the topic and introduce your thesis statement. 

• Begin by providing a general overview of the topic of bullying.
• Introduce the main point of your essay: your thesis statement. 
• Create a hook for your introduction to draw readers into your topic and compel them to read further. 
• State why this issue is important and relevant, providing evidence from authoritative sources to support your claims. 
• Conclude your introduction with a summary of the main points you will make in the essay. 

How To Write Body Paragraphs In a Persuasive Essay About Bullying

Body paragraphs in a persuasive essay about bullying should focus on providing evidence to support the thesis statement. 

This can be done through various research methods such as interviews, surveys, and personal experiences. 

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Here are five ways to effectively write body paragraphs for a persuasive essay about bullying:

1. Utilize vivid tone and descriptive imagery

2. Present evidence - Provide facts, figures, and other evidence to support your argument. 

3. Discuss consequences: Explain how bullying hurts individuals, communities, and society. 

4. Make a call to action: Ask the reader to participate in anti-bullying initiatives or speak up when they witness bullying.

5. Offer solutions: Suggest ways to prevent bullying, such as implementing more school-wide programs or teaching students.

How To Write The Conclusion In a Persuasive Essay About Bullying

The conclusion of a persuasive essay about bullying should summarize the key arguments. 

It should provide a call to action for readers to take further steps in preventing or stopping bullying.

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Lastly, it is important to end on a positive note, reassuring readers that progress is possible.

Learn more about making perfect persuasive essay outlines in this amazing blog!

Examples of Persuasive Essay About Bullying

We have shared some practical examples of persuasive essays on bullying so that you can get inspired and start crafting your paper. 

Persuasive essay about bullying must stop

Short Example of Persuasive essay about bullying

Persuasive essay about bullying in school

Cyber Bullying Persuasive Essay

Bullying Persuasive Speech

Examples of Argumentative Essay About Bullying

These essay samples can give you a helpful look at how other students have approached this complex topic before. 

Argumentative Essay About Bullying Introduction, Body, Conclusion

Argumentative essay about bullying pdf

Check out this amazing blog by our expert writers on persuasive essay examples !

Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics About Bullying

Have a look at these inspiring topics. You might get motivation for your next persuasive essay. 

• Should Schools Implement Mandatory Training Programmes to Address Bullying?
• What Role Do Parents and Guardians Play in Preventing Bullying? 
• Is Online Harassment on the Rise and How Can We Stop it?
• How Effective Are Anti-Bullying Policies at Schools?
• Should Employers be Responsible for Preventing Bullying in the Workplace? 
• How Can We Make Schools a Safer Place to Help Students Avoid Bullying?
• Is Social Media Making Bullying Worse? 
• Are Laws and Regulations Regarding Cyberbullying Effective Enough?
• Should Teachers Be Held Accountable for Bullying in the Classroom?
• What Are Some of the Long-Term Effects of Bullying on Victims? 
• How Can We Encourage Bystanders to Speak Out Against Bullying? 
• Is Cyberbullying More Difficult for Parents and Schools to Stop Than Traditional Bullying? 
• Should Government Intervention be Required to Address the Bullying Crisis in Schools?
• How Can We Help Victims of Bullying Heal and Recover? 
• What Are Some Effective Ways to Prevent Bullying From Occurring?

Check out some more persuasive essay topics to get inspiration for your next essay.

In conclusion, consider all aspects of the issue when writing a persuasive essay on bullying. You should provide evidence to support your point of view and address any potential counterarguments. 

If you're struggling to write a persuasive essay on bullying, CollegeEssay.org's persuasive essay writing service is here for you.

Our experienced essay writer can help you create a well-researched, persuasive, and compelling essay.

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Expository Essay

Expository Essay About Bullying

How to Write an Expository Essay about Bullying: A Guide

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Need to write an expository essay about bullying?

Bullying is a problem that affects millions of people around the world, particularly in schools. It can be incredibly damaging for both victims and perpetrators, leaving lasting physical, mental and emotional scars.

Writing an expository essay about this important issue is a good way to spread awareness and cope with its effects. But what if you don't know where to start?

Don't worry! This blog will help you out!

In this blog, you’ll learn about expository essays, how to write them, and some tips for making a successful essay.

So let's get started!

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• 1. What is an Expository Essay About Bullying?
• 2. Expository Essay Examples on Bullying
• 3. Steps to Write the Best Expository Essay
• 4. Expository Essay Topics About Bullying
• 5. Tips for Writing an Expository Essay About Bullying

What is an Expository Essay About Bullying?

What is an expository essay?

An expository essay is a type of essay that explains, describes, discusses, and informs about a specific topic.

An expository essay about bullying aims to explain or inform the reader about an aspect of bullying.

It typically involves research and data as well as personal experience and opinion. It requires clear language and logical structure in order to present a comprehensive view of the topic.

The goal is to present factual information in an organized way and allow the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Expository Essay Examples on Bullying

Reading bullying essay examples can be a great way to get some ideas and inspiration for your own work.

Here are a few good example essays you should check out before writing:

Short Expository Essay About Bullying

What is Bullying in School Essay Example

Essay About Bullying 500 words

Expository Essay on Cyberbullying

Expository Essay About Bullying in School

Want to read essay samples on other topics? Check out expository essay examples .

Steps to Write the Best Expository Essay

Writing a successful expository essay about bullying requires several steps.

Step 1: Select a Topic 

First, you should select a specific and manageable topic to research. For example, you might choose to write about bullies in high school or cyber bullied teenagers.

Note that your topic must be interesting, relevant, and specific. Moreover, you need to be sure that it has enough information available for research.

Step 2: Research and Gather Evidence

Second, you need to do your research and gather facts and evidence. Consider both primary and secondary sources such as newspapers, books, magazines, websites, interviews, and surveys.

While researching, take notes on the most important points so that they are easier to reference when writing your essay.

Step 3: Write an Outline

Before you start writing, create an expository essay outline . This will help you organize all the information and keep track of your ideas as you develop them further. 

A standard 5-paragraph structure should be enough, although more depending on the complexity of the topic is acceptable.

Step 4: Write the Essay

Now it 's time to put everything together and start writing. Start with an introduction that should grab the reader's attention and explain why this topic is important. 

Next, move on to the body of your essay, which will include several paragraphs discussing different aspects of bullying in detail. 

Finally, write a conclusion that summarizes the main points of your essay and provides closure.

Step 5: Edit and Proofread

A well-written essay should also be edited and proofread for any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. 

Make sure to read it over several times and make adjustments as necessary. Revising your paper will help ensure that your paper is clear and thorough.

Expository Essay Topics About Bullying

If you’re looking for a few good expository essay topics about bullying, here are some ideas to get you started:

• The Different Forms of Bullying.
• The Psychological Impact of Bullying on Victims.
• The Connection Between Bullying and Mental Health.
• The Consequences of Bullying on Academic Performance.
• The Impact of Bullying on Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence.
• Strategies for Preventing Bullying in Schools.
• The Long-Term Effects of Bullying on Adult Life.
• The Influence of Parenting in Preventing Bullying Behavior.
• Bullying in the Workplace: A Growing Concern.
• Legal and Ethical Aspects of Bullying Prevention in Schools.

You can get an idea from expository essay topics on other topics as well.

Watch this video about what is bullying:

Tips for Writing an Expository Essay About Bullying

Expository writing can be difficult, but with a few tips, it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips that you should consider when writing an expository essay about bullying: 

• Keep it organized

Writing an expository essay can be overwhelming if you don't keep your thoughts and information organized. Having an outline is a great way to make sure everything stays on track.

• Be specific 

A successful expository essay must be specific and provide enough detail for the reader to understand the topic. Avoid vague generalizations and stick to well-defined points.

• Use clear language 

Writing an expository essay requires strong communication skills, so be sure to use concise and straightforward language when making your points.

As the goal of an expository essay is to inform rather than persuade, it's important to have a neutral stance. Don't let your personal opinions or biases affect the way you present information.

• Be sympathetic

Bullying is a sensitive topic, so it's important to be sympathetic and understanding when discussing it. 

Empathize with people who have been affected by bullying and try to portray their experience accurately.

• Provide solutions 

An expository essay should not only provide facts but also offer potential solutions to the problem. Make sure to include ways that people can prevent or stop bullying.

To conclude the blog,

Writing an expository essay about bullying can be a challenging yet rewarding task. With the right preparation and research, you can create a thoughtful, informative piece that will inform readers about this important issue.

Unable to write your own essay due to some reason? Consider hiring a professional essay writer.

At MyPerfectWords.com, we provide the best custom essay writing service that ensures quality, originality, and timely delivery.

Our expository essay writing service has experienced writers who are ready to write a custom essay according to your requirements.

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Essay On Bullying: Personal Story Of A High School Bully

There is a definite point in your life when you evolve from being a precocious, abrasive kid to a full-blown bully. For most young people who happen to follow this particular path, the changing point is the beginning of high school. There doesn’t have to be a specific trigger for the change, in fact I believe it is more a case of nothing changing, no lessons being learned or personal maturing being done. The problem is, that whereas young, precocious kids still operate within a peer system, high school bullies set themselves apart and become just as much of a lone figure as the victims that they taunt on a daily basis. Well, that was the case for me, at least.

I wish I could look back to a certain point in my life and blame my high school actions on a trauma that occurred, but that version of the teen bully story is simply not my own. I was not a victim at home; my parents were a normal married couple, very middle class and very much in love. I was not one of those ‘classic only children’ suffering from a selfish nature, in fact I had one brother and one sister, both of whom went to my high school and both of whom conducted average high school lives. For all intents and purposes I should have been a normal boy who had friends, handed in his homework on time and tried out for the football team. But I wasn’t.

For reasons unbeknownst to both me and my peers, I never really matured past the junior high mentality of teasing and play fighting, and the problem with this is that once you start to get bigger, taller, stronger, your playful teasing starts to take on a more sinister edge. It is also at this point that you realise that what you thought was ‘fooling around’ in junior high was in fact upsetting to your peers, and the reason that you find yourself without any real friends as a junior in ‘big boy school’. Of course, this frustration finds a way to vent itself eventually, and in your new environment you lash out in the only way you are familiar with – the tried and tested teasing that with the increasing size and strength of both you and your victims, becomes something a lot more serious.

What I’m trying to say is that though I never set out to be ‘the bully’, from a young age, and without realising it, my unwillingness to mature combined with the relentless force of nature that are male teenage hormones lead me down a path that can only ever end in one way, unhappiness, frustration and suffering for anyone that I felt threatened my status quo. If I had the chance to start again, would I try not be a high school bully? Of course. Could I guarantee that my innate nature wouldn’t come out again? Unfortunately not.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Bullying — Transforming College Campuses: Halting Bullying

Transforming College Campuses: Halting Bullying

• Categories: Bullying

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Words: 430 |

Published: Mar 6, 2024

Words: 430 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, the impact of bullying, addressing bullying in college.

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Bullying can take many forms, from peer pressure to hazing, none of which are good. You have a right to make your own choices and not be subjected to violence, abuse, or stress for wanting to do so. All types of bullying can lead to mental distress, and in extreme cases, injury or death. The cure for bullying is simple: Respect others and treat them the same way you would want to be treated. Read on to learn about the different types of bullying and how to combat them.

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure occurs when an individual or group of individuals tries to influence your behavior, thoughts, or actions. It can happen at all stages of life, though the situations tend to change as an individual gets older. Often, people who are trying to fit in with a certain group (e.g., the “cool” kids) will succumb to peer pressure and do things that they wouldn’t otherwise, such as smoke a cigarette, skip class, or buy certain expensive clothes. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to fit in, if a group of people is subjecting you to peer pressure and making you feel bad when you don’t participate in certain activities, it may not be the best friend group for you.

Because you own your body, you don’t have to do anything just because someone else wants you to. Try to find friends who value the same things you do, and ones to whom you wouldn’t feel bad saying, “No.” While peer pressure is often more subtle than someone saying, “I won’t be your friend if you don’t do drugs,” it is still easily recognizable. If someone is trying hard to get you to do something, despite resistance, that is peer pressure.

Not all peer pressure is bad, though. If you find a group of people for whom getting good grades and participating in extracurricular activities is important, you’re more likely to want to get good grades and participate in extracurricular activities as well. All people are influenced by the friends that they surround themselves with, so surround yourself with successful people whom you admire and aspire to be like.

Peer Pressure at Parties

College, particularly freshman year, is a time of transition. There isn’t much close supervision by adults or parents while students are away at college. Naturally, students may want to experiment with alcohol or recreational drugs, especially if all of their new classmates are doing so. Peer pressure, whether intentional or unintentional, may influence students to try drugs or alcohol when they otherwise would not have chosen to do so. Peer pressure doesn’t even have to be spoken. Often, people model themselves on the behavior of the people that they are surrounded by. If you are the only one not drinking at a party, you may be more inclined to accept the next drink that you are offered.

Verbal peer pressure can range from someone offering you a drink or drugs to someone impolitely asking you why you’re not drinking or doing drugs to someone pressuring you to take a shot or smoke a joint. The easiest way to avoid peer pressure like this is to avoid situations where you will be surrounded by people who are partying, especially if it’s not your scene in the first place. However, you shouldn’t have to avoid parties just because you don’t want to drink or do drugs. You can make yourself nonalcoholic beverages and tell people, “I’ve already got a drink, but thanks,” every time they offer you another one. It’s also perfectly okay to tell people, “No, thanks. I don’t do drugs.”

If you get into a situation where you feel uncomfortable, you have every right to leave. Otherwise, stand up for what you believe in, and eventually, once people get to know you, they’ll stop asking. If you see someone else being pressured, step in. It’s okay to be an individual and not follow along with the crowd.

Many people believe that bullying is predominantly a problem in K–12 schools, but bullying can and does occur on college campuses. As you get older, bullying is often referred to by the specific form it takes. It can include stalking, harassment, cyberbullying, hazing, or hate speech. In reality, any aggressive behavior in which one person repeatedly exerts power over another to coerce or intimidate is bullying. Peer pressure, then, can be a form of bullying. These behaviors almost always violate college policies and state and federal laws. There are four distinct types of bullying:

• Verbal:  Verbal bullying is spoken or written and involves using words with the intent to cause emotional distress. Examples of verbal bullying include name-calling, making fun of someone’s appearance, threatening, encouraging someone to take their own life, insulting, or teasing. Verbal bullying comes in many levels of severity, but all constitute bullying in their own right.
• Physical:  Physical bullying involves a student physically hurting or attempting to hurt another student. It may include tripping, hitting, pushing, kicking, pinching, hair-pulling, etc.
• Relational:  Relational bullying involves an attempt to isolate one student from their peers. The bully may spread rumors to harm a student’s reputation or instruct others to exclude a student from their group (e.g., telling the student they can’t sit with other students at lunch, refusing to pick the student for either team during physical education, or making the student the butt of a practical joke).
• Cyber:  Any bullying that takes place online is considered cyberbullying, but typically cyberbullying occurs over social media and text or instant messaging applications. It may range from a student posting mean things on another student’s social media pages to a student texting abusive messages to another student. Sharing photos, spreading rumors, and creating a hostile environment are all examples of cyberbullying. It is a particularly concerning form of bullying because the anonymity that one can hide behind online increases the cruelty of the message. Furthermore, with internet access on phones and computers, the victimization is constant and the impact is instant.

While bullying can affect anyone, there are certain risk factors that may make a student more likely to be bullied. Any student who is perceived by a bully as different from others (by being overweight, wearing glasses, being new to the school or the class, or wearing different clothes) may automatically be more of a target. Depending on the environment, students may be targeted because of their LGBT+ identity; a disability; or their race, sex, or religious beliefs. Furthermore, as bullying is essentially a power play, students who are perceived as weak or being pushovers, having low self-esteem, or being less popular than others are more vulnerable.

Accusations of bullying are taken so seriously by teachers and administrators because bullying can have serious results. Students who are bullied typically experience isolation (whether self-imposed to avoid the bully or imposed by other students) and the resulting loneliness. Furthermore, experiencing any type of bullying could damage a student’s mental health and self-esteem. It can also increase the likelihood of suffering depression, anxiety, or  suicidal thoughts . If you are being bullied, it could be difficult to concentrate on schoolwork, work-study, and extracurricular activities, and you might try to avoid campus gatherings altogether.

Speaking Out

If you are being bullied, you might feel like there’s no one on your side. That simply isn’t true. Real friends, trusted mentors and professors, and your residential assistant are just a few of the people who would be glad to listen and help connect you with additional resources.

If you have concerns about a friend or classmate who has been bullied or if you have been a witness to any such behavior, it is your responsibility as a member of your campus community to speak out against what you have seen. This could include standing up for the student who is being bullied at the time you witness the actions, offering yourself as a friend to the student who is being bullied, or talking to a superior (a coach, an academic advisor, a dean, etc.) about what you have seen.

It is important to report any instances of bullying so that you can stop the aggression before it gets worse. Luckily,  the U.S. Department of Education  mandates that every school, colleges and universities included, have at least one employee (usually called a Title IX coordinator) who makes sure the school is in compliance with Title IX of the Educational Amendments. These amendments prohibit sex and gender discrimination in education. If you are reporting an instance of gender-based bullying or discrimination, you may alert the Title IX coordinator.

Otherwise, the dean is a good resource for students grappling with bullying. Depending on the size of your school, you may be able to contact the dean through email or make an appointment through the dean’s office. The dean is an expert on student life and will be able to connect you with appropriate resources to help stop the bullying. He or she may follow up with the student who is doing the bullying and other victims in an effort to make campus a safer place.

If bullying, no matter what kind, is threatening your immediate safety in any way, please alert the  police and campus security . These departments can follow up, help you file a report, and protect your safety.

Respecting Others

These instructions are so obvious, and yet, with so many instances of bullying around the globe, there are clearly people who are not following the Golden Rule: Treat others the way that you want to be treated.

Teasing is sometimes a sign of affection. Other times, it crosses the line. Before you make a joke about someone you know, ask yourself if it seems hurtful. Would it bother you if the roles were reversed? If so, keep it to yourself. Also, be mindful that some people may be more sensitive or self-conscious than you are. That is not a character flaw of theirs. They are not to be blamed for feeling hurt.

It’s easy to accidentally hurt someone’s feelings or take a joke too far, but it can feel awful for the other person. If this happens to you, apologize immediately. It takes guts to admit that you were wrong, and the gesture won’t go unnoticed. It is always best to apologize, even if you think someone is being overly sensitive. Do not blame that person for his or her reaction. Be honest: “I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t think about how it would affect you. I wasn’t considering your emotions. It won’t happen again.”

Hazing is any situation that is intended to cause an individual embarrassment, humiliation, or debasement, regardless of whether the individual agrees to participate. With or without willing participation, these situations run a high risk of inflicting emotional or physical harm. Unlike bullying, which is generally intended to single an individual out, hazing is often intended to be an inclusive measure. It may be used as initiation into a sorority or fraternity, a sports team, or other extracurricular group.

As of 2008,  73%  of students in sororities and fraternities reported experiencing hazing.  A survey of 325,000 NCAA student-athletes  found that 80% had experienced some sort of hazing when they were initiated onto their teams. Furthermore, over half of college students involved in any extracurricular activity reported experiencing hazing.

While hazing masquerades as inclusive (once a student makes it through the hazing ritual, they’re officially a part of the team, fraternity, etc.), bullying and hazing still have a lot in common. Similar to bullying, the commonality between all hazing rituals is a power discrepancy between the individuals promoting the hazing and the individual(s) being forced to endure the hazing. Unlike bullying, those who haze act as a group; bullies often act alone.

Hazing may include beating, branding, forcing a new recruit to drink copious amounts of alcohol, forcing an individual to endure verbal assaults, kidnapping underclassmen at night and depriving them of sleep while forcing them to cater to the whims of upperclassmen, forcing a student to eat something that isn’t food, or forcing inappropriate and unreciprocated sexual acts.

Many schools have instituted anti-hazing policies, and hazing is currently illegal in 44 states and the District of Columbia because it tends to go wrong. (States without laws preventing hazing are Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming.) Despite the illegality of hazing, incidents still occur. For example, in 2013, a Baruch College freshman  died after participating in a hazing ritual , as have students at Pennsylvania State University, Clemson University, and Florida State University.

Though many students anonymously self-report being hazed,  few students  actually report hazing to a school official for fear of the consequences, whether from the other students involved in the same extracurricular or from the school. The consequences for hazing are tough and can include an individual’s expulsion from school, the disbanding of the extracurricular for which the hazing occurred, or legal action.

If someone is in immediate harm due to hazing, call 9-1-1 and campus security immediately. Many hazing deaths are the result of students waiting until it’s too late to get help for the affected individual. Never leave someone who has passed out from being forced to drink too much alcohol or enduring a beating to “sleep it off.” Regardless of the potential consequences or your compliance in the hazing, call emergency services. The consequences will be far worse if a student were to fall into a coma or die because his or her fellow students were too afraid to get help.

If you have personally been a victim of or witnessed hazing, speak up, even if it’s after the fact. Not only can hazing be emotionally traumatizing or life-threatening for the individuals who experience it, but participants may have felt peer pressure to go along with the rest of the team within a hazing ritual despite not wanting to take part. Nobody benefits from hazing, and it should be reported to a coach, administrator, or trusted individual. There is also an anti-hazing hotline that students may call anonymously if they would like to talk to someone outside of their schools (1-888-668-4293) or students can visit the  Stop Hazing  website.

Resources for Students

For everyone:

• Text “HOME” to 741741.
• Text line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Texts are confidential.
• Visit the site to get support tailored to your situation
• Call 1-800-273-8255 toll-free or 1-800-799-4889 (for deaf and hard of hearing individuals)
• Lifeline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Lifeline is free and confidential
• Call 212-673-3000 toll-free
• Helpline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Calls are confidential and anonymous; caller ID is not used

For Spanish speakers:

• Call 1-888-628-9454 toll-free

For teens and adolescents:

• Call 1-800-872-5437 toll-free
• Helpline is free

For LGBT+ youth:

• Call 1-866-488-7386 toll-free or text “START” to 678678 (standard data rates apply)
• Instant messaging options are also available

Page last updated: 03/2019

Related topics:

Drinking smart, suicidal thoughts, being prepared for emergencies on campus, abusive relationships, mental health concerns for collegiate athletes.

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Trade Schools Home > Articles > Bullying in College

Bullying in College: How It Happens and What You Can Do to Stop It

By Publisher | Last Updated April 12, 2021

It's sad but true: Bullying in college is a real issue. Many people associate bullying with children and find it hard to believe that it would continue beyond high school. But even adults in higher education can find themselves the target of malicious and demeaning behavior on the part of their peers (or even their professors).

And bullying can be particularly challenging to address at the college level. For one thing, college faculty are typically not as concerned with classroom management as elementary or high school teachers are, and they are less likely to mediate interpersonal disputes. Plus, many students are on their own for the first time, living far away from family members who could intervene and offer support. College students are also experiencing all the extra stress that comes from trying to handle their finances and balance their course loads. And if the person doing the bullying is a roommate or dorm acquaintance, it can be very difficult or even impossible to relax and escape.

Fortunately, more people are becoming aware of the issues surrounding bullying. To bring attention to the problem, many schools observe a designated bullying awareness day. In addition, did you know that October is National Bullying Prevention Month ? Begun in 2006 by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, the campaign's goal is to help more people understand that bullying has lasting negative effects and should not be viewed as just a normal part of growing up.

By arming yourself with the facts, you can be better prepared to bring an end to college bullying. Below, you will find information on bullying that explains what it is, what forms it takes, what effects it has, and (most importantly) what you can do to stop it.

• What is bullying?
• Types of bullying
• Who is at risk?
• What does bullying cause?
• How to stop bullying: Strategies for victims, bystanders, and parents
• Laws and policies related to bullying
• Anti-bullying resources

What Is Bullying?

There is no one universally accepted definition. But generally speaking, bullying is a deliberate and hostile act that is meant to cause fear in or harm to another person. It is repeatedly perpetrated by someone who wields (or is perceived to wield) greater power or status than their target. Bullying is intended to demean another person who typically has great difficulty stopping the actions that are directed at them.

So, what is a bully? It's a person who intentionally and repeatedly engages in aggressive behavior in order to humiliate, hurt, or intimidate others. Bullies are often stronger or more socially powerful than their targets whom they seek to gain control over.

The imbalance of power and the repetitive nature of the behavior is what distinguishes bullying from just plain meanness. "Mean" is when someone says or does something with the intention of hurting you. That person might be lashing out in anger or frustration, and the event could be a one-time thing. But bullying is when someone who has more power than you persistently and purposefully demeans you over time.

Bullying at the college level

Many people think of bullies only in the context of middle school students getting slammed into lockers and having their lunch money stolen. It's often assumed that kids mature and grow out of such behaviors by the time they leave high school. And indeed, much of the research on bullying has focused on the K-12 demographic.

But the unfortunate truth is that college bullying also exists. In fact, in one study , more than a quarter of the 1,025 undergraduates who were surveyed said they had witnessed bullying among college students. A separate study had similar findings: 23 percent of college students reported having been bullied by one of their peers.

What's even more disturbing is that 18.5 percent of students in the latter study said they had been bullied by a professor . What does bullying mean when it comes to instructor-student dynamics? It can involve an instructor publicly disparaging a student's ability or character, making obscene gestures at them, calling the student by an offensive nickname, or even telling lies that damage the student's reputation or social standing. Some professors might refuse to hand back graded assignments and then encourage a student to drop the class because they will probably fail anyway.

Is bullying abuse? Most certainly. But there are things you can do to deal with it . It's also important to know that bullying may cross over into legal harassment when it is based on a person's color, sex, religion, race, disability, or national origin. In such cases, there are specific protections under federal civil rights or anti-discrimination laws .

Types of Bullying

1. Physical bullying

This is the type of bullying that most people think of first, but it is actually the least common form among college-age adults. It occurs when someone uses physical actions to intimidate, dominate, or control another person. Physical bullying often involves hitting, kicking, slapping, or paddling. It can also involve stealing or damaging someone's possessions. It figures prominently in some hazing rituals .

If you're a smaller person and the people in your dorm continually band together to push and shove you and taunt you by telling you to hit back, you are being physically bullied.

2. Verbal bullying

Verbal bullying happens when someone uses words to belittle or demean another person and assert dominance over them. Repeated name-calling, threats, insults, bigoted remarks, and sexually suggestive comments can all qualify as verbal bullying. Research has found this to be one of the most common types of bullying at the college level.

3. Social bullying

This is also known as relational or emotional bullying. So, what is social bullying? It involves excluding a person from a particular group or damaging a person's social standing. Social bullies try to boost their own status by undermining someone else's. They manipulate social situations, spread gossip and rumors, and encourage other people to turn against that person. Such behavior is often perpetrated by a group of friends against an outsider.

4. Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying or online bullying is when communication technology is used to threaten, embarrass, or harm another person. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying provides perpetrators with anonymity and allows them to be cruel while remaining detached from the situation. Cyberbullies might send threatening or offensive texts or emails, create websites focused on insulting someone, post humiliating photos of a person, or reveal sensitive information about them online, or hack into a person's social media accounts to pose as them and wreak havoc. Notably, cyberbullies don't need to repeat the behavior for it to have lasting and long-term effects; one click can enable an offending message or photo to go viral and take on a life of its own.

A famous case of cyberbullying involved Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student whose roommate used a webcam to secretly capture Clementi performing an intimate act with another man. The roommate invited other students to watch the online broadcast and later posted about it on his Twitter feed. After discovering what his roommate had done and finding out that a second attempt to invade his privacy was planned, Clementi took his own life by jumping off the George Washington Bridge.

One survey of college students found that 22 percent had endured some form of cyberbullying, and 38 percent knew someone who had gone through such an experience.

Online bullying can be especially insidious because the targeted person can be tormented at any time, and they may not have any idea who the perpetrator is.

5. Sexual bullying

Repeated actions that are meant to humiliate or demean a person sexually can be termed sexual bullying. Perpetrators frequently attack a person's attractiveness, sexual orientation, or sexual activity. Bullies might text inappropriate messages or pictures, make insulting comments about someone's body either in person or online, or partake in so-called "slut-shaming" (i.e., denigrating someone for their sexual behavior). Sometimes, sexual bullying can occur when a relationship ends and one partner shares private sexting examples or explicit photos of their ex with a group of friends as a way of getting back at the ex.

In some cases, this type of bullying can be considered sexual harassment or gender-based harassment and may therefore be actionable under federal law .

Hazing is a systematic process of inflicting humiliation on a student as a "rite of passage." Brian Van Brunt of the National Behavioral Intervention Team Association believes hazing can be a form of bullying, even though students normally subject themselves to it voluntarily in order to become part of a group or organization. Most bullying is designed to exclude people, but hazing is about having people earn the right to be accepted into a group. This phenomenon isn't limited to fraternities and sororities; it can happen with athletic teams, recreational clubs, honor societies, and other types of organizations.

In one survey , 55 percent of college students said they had experienced hazing as part of their initiation into a campus organization, club, or team. Commonly, hazing rituals involve drinking vast amounts of alcohol, being humiliated and screamed at by club members, and even being forced to perform sex acts. You should know that the vast majority of states have anti-hazing laws in place, and some even designate it as a possible felony if it causes a person to suffer serious bodily harm.

Who Is at Risk?

Anyone can experience bullying, but some factors make certain students more likely to be targeted. Bullies often focus on those who are different in some way. For example, targets of bullies might dress differently, be overweight, indulge in unpopular hobbies, be socially awkward, or have a disability. Other targets might be perceived as being too smart or too favored by an instructor. Students may also be targeted because of their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious beliefs. Sometimes bullying can arise from simple jealousy or disagreements among classmates or roommates.

It's important to understand that some victims of bullying take on the role of aggressor and become bullies themselves. (They are known as bully-victims.) For example, a group of LGBTQ students who have been victimized might join forces to bully a person who has criticized or spoken out in opposition to gender-identity causes. So it's possible for the same person to be both a bully and a victim, depending on the situation.

What Does Bullying Cause?

The effects of bullying can be severe. There can be long-lasting impacts on the well-being of victims as well as bullies. Even bystanders who witness bullying but don't actually participate in it can experience feelings of fear and anxiety.

College students who are bullied often feel angry, helpless, lonely, frustrated, and isolated. They may have trouble sleeping or experience changes in their appetites. To escape the bullying, they might start skipping classes or avoiding social situations. The stress that results from being bullied can also cause physical issues like stomach aches, headaches, and ulcers.

In addition, bullying can lead to:

• Low self-esteem: Bullied people may start to internalize the negative messages and begin believing the hurtful things that are said about them. Over time, their ability to see themselves as capable individuals who are worthy of respect diminishes. Some respond by trying to change their appearance or personality in an attempt to make the bullying stop. However, such actions rarely satisfy bullies, and the victims also suffer from pretending to be something they are not.
• Anxiety and depression : The demoralizing effects of ongoing bullying can erode a person's happiness and leave them in a constant state of anxiety. This can be especially pronounced with cyberbullying since the torment can happen at any time. A study of female college students found that those who experienced cyberbullying were almost three times more likely to suffer from depression than those who had not been bullied online. In particular, those who received unwelcome sexual advances through electronic means were six times more likely to meet the criteria for clinical depression.
• Learned helplessness: As bullying continues unabated over time, victims can become conditioned to their suffering and start to believe that they have no control over what happens to them. They feel powerless to change their situation, so they give up trying. This can have a major effect on their ability to persist or persevere in any difficult situation.
• Difficulties with social relationships: People who are bullied often struggle to trust people. They might question who their true friends are and wonder who will be next to betray them. In some cases, bullied people shut down emotionally and alienate the people who care about them because they don't want to risk being made to feel worse. Thus, they have a hard time maintaining friendships and intimate relationships.
• Alcohol or drug use: Some people who experience bullying turn to alcohol or drugs as a way to escape their torment. Research has shown that being bullied at school makes college students more likely to both drink to excess and partake in binge drinking . And it's not just the targeted victims who turn to chemicals for relief: The study of female college students also found that girls who engaged in bullying others online were significantly more likely to have problems with alcohol use.
• Violence: It's important to note that being bullied does not necessarily mean someone will commit violent acts. However, it can combine with other factors to increase the risk of such an event. One study of high school students found that victims of bullying who were threatened at school, had skipped school out of fear for their safety, or had been involved in a fight at school were much more likely to carry guns, clubs, or knives to school.
• Self-harm or suicidal thoughts: Bullying is one of many stressors that can combine to generate overwhelming feelings of helplessness and lead to some very dark places. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that students who are involved in bullying, either as a victim or as a bully, have a higher risk of engaging in suicide-related behaviors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , the risk is especially high for students who bully others and are bullied themselves. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 right away.

How to Stop Bullying: Strategies for Victims, Bystanders, and Parents

Whether you are the target of bullying, have seen it happen to someone else, or are concerned that it's happening to your son or daughter, there are concrete steps you can and should take to make it stop. Find out what to do if you:

• Are being bullied
• Witness bullying
• Are the parent of a student being bullied

What to do if you are being bullied

1. Understand that it's not your fault.

There's no need to be embarrassed about being picked on; you likely haven't done anything wrong. Do not blame yourself. Bullies are often insecure people who need to feel superior by feeding off of those they see as defenseless. Try not to let the bully convince you that what they are saying about you is true. And don't feel like you need to change yourself into a person that you think the bully will accept. It's important to be who you truly are and focus on what makes you happy.

2. Don't retaliate.

No one ever wins a revenge battle. Responding aggressively won't make your situation any better, and it could even land you in bigger trouble. Bullies are trying to provoke a reaction from you, so don't give them the satisfaction. If they see they are getting to you, they will keep up their antics.

So, if you want to learn how to confront a bully, put on a brave face (even if you have to fake it) and don't cower or get upset, at least when the bully is around. Confidently stand your ground without yelling. Don't give in to the urge to use physical force, since you can never be sure how the bully will respond. If just walking away is not an option, try using a bit of humor to defuse the situation. Never show off or try to make a bully feel jealous or weak; that can cause them to become even more aggressive. However, staying cool and calm will take away a bully's power.

3. Document your experiences.

For each incident, write down exactly what happened and when, and be sure to note if there were any witnesses. Save emails, texts, or photos, and take screenshots of websites or social media posts. Print them out if you can. You'll need these as evidence if things escalate to the point that you decide to go to the school administration or the police.

4. Tell someone.

It's extremely important to get support so that you don't feel isolated. If you keep the bullying a secret, you give the bullies additional power. Once they see that you're too ashamed to talk about your experience, they'll know they can keep doing what they're doing.

So talk to someone about what you're going through. That could be your parents, a friend, your residential advisor, a counselor, a coach, or a peer mentoring group. They can help you find and connect with resources for further support. Just letting someone else know what is going on will keep you from feeling powerless and alone.

5. Take cyber cover.

Learning how to handle cyberbullying starts with getting to know the policies for each app or social media site that you use. Most sites take the issue of online bullying very seriously. You should be able to adjust your privacy settings and report or block the person who is bothering you. You might even want to consider shutting down your accounts for a while. Don't respond to (or forward) hurtful posts or messages; that will only add fuel to the fire and result in more conflict.

If you're being bullied by text message, find out how to block the offending number. This is a fairly simple process on an iPhone: In the Settings menu, choose Phone, then Call Blocking & Identification, and finally Block Contact. Alternatively, if the number is not one of your listed contacts, go to the Recents section of the Phone app, select the small "i" icon beside the number, and choose Block This Caller.

For Android devices, the specific blocking method varies depending on the manufacturer. You might also consider using free third-party Android apps like Mr. Number , Call Blocker Free—Blacklist , or Calls Blacklist—Call Blocker .

Another option is to contact your phone service provider to block the bullying number or even get a new number for yourself.

6. Report the situation.

Many students are embarrassed about being bullied and feel that now that they are in college, they should be able to handle these things alone. However, it's critical to report all bullying incidents in order to end the aggression.

Review your school's code of conduct to see if what you are experiencing violates campus policies. (If the behavior qualifies as sexual harassment under federal law , you should reach out to your school's Title IX coordinator.) Then contact a school administrator, ombudsperson, or the dean of students about your concerns and request a meeting so that you can come up with a plan to deal with the situation. At the meeting, make it clear that you wish to be protected from retaliation or further bullying. So, for instance, if you know or suspect that it's your roommate who is bullying you, ask to be moved to a new room before school officials talk to your roommate. Officials should also be able to advise you about getting restraining orders if such measures are necessary.

You should report the bullying even if it's happening online and you don't actually know who the perpetrator is. In some cases, IT professionals and campus security forces can work together to determine who is behind it.

If you're being bullied on social media, notify the sites so that they can review the offending content to see if it violates their terms of service.

7. Call the police (if necessary).

If you have been physically threatened, are being stalked, have received sexually explicit photos or messages, or are fearful for your overall safety, contact law enforcement immediately.

What to do if you witness bullying

If you want to stop bullying, speak up . Many times, bystanders are reluctant to intervene because they are unsure of what to do or afraid that the bully will turn on them. Those who observe the bullying but do nothing might also believe that they have no personal responsibility to act or that their actions won't make any difference. The truth, however, is that bystanders have a key role to play in stopping the aggression. If you see someone being bullied, here are a few things you can do:

• Don't enable the bully. That means more than just not saying anything. If you laugh at the targeted person, share negative gossip online, or otherwise give the bully the audience they crave, you compound the problem. Research has shown that instances of verbal bullying are much more likely to turn violent when there are people standing by watching. So, if you witness in-person bullying, say something like, "This is messed up," and make it clear to everyone around you that the behavior is wrong, and you should all do something to stop bullying now. It takes guts to be the first one to step up, but your actions may encourage other bystanders to do the same.
• Confront the bully. If you feel safe enough to do so, stand beside the person who is being bullied, look directly at the bully, and tell them to lay off. Be confident and calm. Don't raise your voice or make accusations; you want to deescalate the situation by letting the bully save face and avoid humiliation. Then walk away with the victim.
• Let the victim know you support them. Even if you don't confront the bully directly, you can try to defuse tension by complimenting the victim in some way or starting up a conversation with them. Send the person a friendly text message indicating that you're there for them. A small act of kindness can go a long way toward helping a bullied person feel less humiliated.
• Gather evidence. Record a video of in-person encounters or take screenshots of bullying comments on social media or other websites. Make notes about what you saw or heard, when and where the event occurred, and who else was there.
• Tell an authority figure about it. Many cases of bullying come down to one person's word against another's, so it can be immensely helpful for a victim to have input from additional sources. If you can corroborate the person's account, officials will have a clearer picture of what happened and be more likely to take steps to deal with it.

You might also want to consider getting involved in a bystander intervention program, which is becoming a popular way of combating bullying in college. Such programs work by enlisting community members to recognize and address harmful or negative behaviors. They're designed to reduce violence on college campuses by training bystanders to take proactive steps to defuse tension and head off potential aggression. Here are a few examples:

• Bringing in the Bystander

What to do if you are the parent of a student being bullied

First and foremost, keep the lines of communication open . Always remember that it takes an incredible amount of courage for a college student to share such an experience with their parents. Most students who are the targets of bullying find it so humiliating and painful that they are extremely reluctant to talk about it. By the time they do say something, they have likely been dealing with the issue for a long time and are feeling quite demoralized. So if your child opens up to you, the most important thing you can do is listen.

When speaking with your child, keep the following tips in mind:

• Don't interrupt, criticize, or ask what they did to provoke the bully. You need to offer support and comfort without being judgmental.
• Don't write it off as not a big deal. As noted above, bullying can have serious consequences, and it has probably escalated for some time before you hear about it.
• Do assure your child that it is not their fault. The bullying is not really about them; it's about the bully's need for power and control.
• Do emphasize that you are on your child's side. Your role is to bolster their confidence.

Next, document the details of each bullying incident (if your child hasn't already done so). Remember to focus on facts and try to keep emotion out of it. Be sure to find out if there are any other students who may have witnessed the bullying and could provide another perspective. And research applicable laws and policies in your area to see what applies to your situation.

Finally, encourage your child to report the bullying to the college as soon as possible. If you're able to do so, offer to accompany your child when they speak to administration. Together, you can find out what steps the college will take to investigate the problem and protect your child from further bullying. Keep in mind that you may have to report the issue to more than one person before you get appropriate action. Don't give up.

Laws and Policies Related to Bullying

Federal laws

At the federal level, there is no law that specifically addresses bullying. However, in some cases, bullying that is based on a protected class (i.e., a person's color, race, national origin, religion, sex, or disability) qualifies as discriminatory harassment under federal legislation.

All schools that receive federal money must take steps to address conduct that is severe enough to create a hostile environment for students in a protected class. (That means conduct that disrupts a protected student's abilities to benefit from the services offered by a college.) Schools have an obligation to act even if they don't actually receive a complaint; they are required to take steps to address any harassment that educators or administrators should reasonably be aware of.

Examples of relevant legislation include:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans any college or school that receives federal funds from discriminating against students on the basis of color, race, or national origin.
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) make it unlawful for federally funded programs to discriminate against people with disabilities.
• Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational institutions and programs, including internships and School-to-Work programs. Even if only one activity or program at a college benefits from federal funding, the entire college is covered by Title IX. (However, military training schools are exempt, and private religious colleges that claim parts of the rules are inconsistent with their faiths can receive exemptions.)

Note that sexual harassment is a prohibited form of discrimination under Title IX. Harassment based on sexual orientation is not specifically covered, but if you are bullied because you do not conform to stereotyped ideas of masculine or feminine behavior, you may be able to seek damages under Title IX.

Every college and university that receives federal funds must have a Title IX coordinator whose role is to ensure that the school complies with the legislation. So if you have experienced what you believe is sexual harassment or gender-based bullying, contact your school's designated coordinator.

You should be aware that Title IX is in the midst of significant uncertainty. In 2015, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights affirmed that Title IX prohibited schools from discriminating on the basis of gender identity. In 2016, the department issued a Dear Colleague letter (i.e., a letter that announces a change in policy implementation) which stated that Title IX also prohibited discrimination against transgender students.

However, in 2017, the department issued another Dear Colleague letter rescinding the guidelines which held that Title IX applied to gender-identity-based discrimination. In May 2018, a federal court in the Gavin Grimm case held that Title IX does protect transgender students from discrimination. As of October 2018, the department is in the process of drafting new comprehensive regulations for the implementation of Title IX, which could result in more legal challenges.

If you are being bullied and you are not a member of one of the protected classes, you may not have a remedy under federal law. However, state laws may offer some recourse.

Every state has a law or model policy that applies to bullying, although the specifics vary greatly from state to state. In fact, no two states even use the same definition of what constitutes bullying. For instance, according to state laws , in New Jersey bullying can be a single incident, whereas Nebraska requires a pattern of incidents. A few states leave it to the state education department to come up with a definition, while others delegate it to local school districts. To add to the confusion, the definitions used by the states do not necessarily jive with the definitions used by anti-bullying programs.

Many states outline disciplinary consequences for students who bully others. Such consequences can include suspension, expulsion, or mandatory transfer to another school. In addition, a range of state laws provide criminal penalties for behaviors that can qualify as bullying, such as stalking, intimidation, harassment, and assault.

Be sure to research the bullying-related regulations that apply in your state .

Anti-Bullying Resources

If you or someone close to you is having suicidal thoughts, contact one of the following immediately:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988: Provides round-the-clock crisis support for people in distress
• The Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386: Offers crisis intervention services specifically for LGBTQ youth

Anti-bullying organizations

• STOMP Out Bullying : Works to raise awareness, promote inclusion, and reduce bullying and cyberbullying
• Ditch the Label : Focuses on providing support to young people affected by all forms of bullying
• No Bully : Dedicated to eradicating bullying both in schools and online
• National Association of People Against Bullying : Advocates for victims of bullying and their families
• PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center : Offers personal stories, videos, and resources for parents and young adults
• HazingPreventionNetwork.Org : Provides resources on how to prevent hazing in college
• The Cybersmile Foundation : Aims to build a safer digital community through supporting those who have been bullied online

Anti-bullying websites

• Stopbullying.gov : Features information from U.S. government agencies on how you can deal with and prevent bullying
• Bystander Revolution : Offers hundreds of videos containing practical tips for what individuals can do to end bullying and change the overall culture
• Cyberbullying Research Center : Offers research and reference materials for anyone dealing with online bullying

Find Your Way Forward

Bullying in college can have a big impact on your educational experience. But it's important to remember that you do have options. Sometimes a change of environment can be a good move. For instance, have you considered the many benefits of technical schools or vocational colleges? Check out some of the options near you by typing your zip code into the following search tool!

"I recommend using Trade-Schools.net because you can find the program that you are interested in nearby or online. " Trade-Schools.net User

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5 Facts About Bullying in College

People often believe that  bullying is a childhood issue that kids eventually outgrow. In fact, most people assume that their kids will not have to deal with bullying once they graduate from high school. But, growing research suggests that bullies are growing up and infiltrating college campuses.   Even the workforce has more than its fair share of bullies. In fact, bullying is an issue that people of all ages must be prepared to handle.

Facts About Being Bulled in College

If you have a high school student who is about to enter college or a young adult who already in college, here are five facts about bullying that you should know.

Bullying Doesn’t End in High School

While a majority of bullying peaks in middle school and subsides by high school, new research indicates that bullying may never completely go away. In fact, if bullies are not taught to take responsibility for their actions or are not disciplined for bullying others , this will become a pattern of behavior for them especially if it gets them the results they desire.

Consequently, parents of college students need to discuss bullying issues with their kids even as they leave for college. They also should continue to build self-esteem, resiliency , social skills and assertiveness skills so their kids can deal effectively with bullying issues in college and later in the workforce. Being confident and resilient is half the battle when it comes to standing up bullying .

Cyberbullying in College Is on the Rise

Research indicates that cyberbullying is increasing at the college level. And much of the cyberbullying that college kids experience revolves around relationship issues. For example, many times cyberbullying encompasses gossip and rumors , slut-shaming and sexual bullying.

Often mean girls will engage in this behavior as a way to climb to the social ladder or to intimidate other girls. They also may use cyberbullying to stake their claim on boys they are interested in.

Meanwhile, boys may cyberbully other boys as a way of humiliating them and exerting their own dominance. Or, they may use cyberbullying to get revenge after being dumped. In fact, if students engage in sexting this puts them at greater risk for cyberbullying or slut-shaming when a relationship ends. 

Unique Challenges

Unlike bullying in middle school and high school, many college students must face bullying without the support of family and friends nearby. They are living on campus miles from home. What’s more, escaping the bullying climate can be more challenging in college especially if the bully is a roommate or a dorm mate.

College students also must deal with the possibility of hazing , which still occurs on some college campuses. While most people assume only fraternities and sororities participate in hazing, just about any group could have hazing rituals including sports teams and other campus groups. Be sure to talk to your child about the dangers of hazing and how to respond to hazing rituals.

Bullied Students Often Feel Alone

The consequences of bullying are high for anyone who is impacted. But research indicates that college students can feel even more alone and isolated especially if they are underclassmen at the university. Every college student needs a circle of support, but bullied college students are in even greater need of support.

If your child is being bullied at college, take steps to reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation. For instance, visit your student if you can. Encourage her to get involved in activities that might make her feel more connected to other people.

Talk to campus experts about getting your child a mentor. Just one or two friends can go a long way in easing the sense of isolation that victims of bullying can experience.

Students Often Keep Silent

Many college students who are bullied never tell anyone what they are going through. There are several reasons for their silence. First, many times victims of bullying are embarrassed by what they are experiencing. To talk about the bullying requires them to share the embarrassing details of what other people are saying or doing.

Additionally, college students may feel more pressure than middle school or high school students to respond to bullying on their own. They believe that now that they are becoming adults, they need to learn to handle issues on their own. And while this is true to a certain degree, bullying is a complex issue that often requires a support system and intervention. Parents can provide help and insight especially if the bullying they are experiencing involves actions that are against the law.

A Word From Verywell

If you have a teen headed off to college in the fall or a student already attending college, make sure you are talking about bullying on a regular basis. Listen for cues that things may not be going well and then ask open-ended questions. Keeping an open dialogue with your college student is one of the first steps to dealing with college bullying.

Rospenda KM, Richman JA, Wolff JM, Burke LA. Bullying victimization among college students: negative consequences for alcohol use. J Addict Dis. 2013;32(4):325-42. doi:10.1080%2F10550887.2013.849971

Andersen LP, Labriola M, Andersen JH, Lund T, Hansen CD. Bullied at school, bullied at work: a prospective study. BMC Psychol. 2015;3:35. doi:10.1186%2Fs40359-015-0092-1

Allison M. Schenk & William J. Fremouw.  Prevalence, Psychological Impact, and Coping of Cyberbully Victims Among College Students.  Journal of School Violence. 2012. 11(1):21-37. doi:10.1080/15388220.2011.630310

Zalaquett, Carlos & Chatters, Seriashia. Cyberbullying in College: Frequency, Characteristics, and Practical Implications. SAGE (201):21-37. doi:10.1177/2158244014526721. 

Bullying Victimization Among College Students . US National Library Of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2013. 

By Sherri Gordon Sherri Gordon, CLC is a published author, certified professional life coach, and bullying prevention expert. 

Bullying in higher education: an endemic problem?

• Open access
• Published: 30 June 2023
• Volume 29 , pages 123–137, ( 2023 )

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• Malcolm Tight   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3379-8613 1  

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We may think that bullying is a childish behaviour that is left behind on finishing school, or that universities and colleges are too cultured and intellectual as institutions to have room for such behaviour, but these hopes are far from the truth. The research evidence shows that bullying of all kinds is rife in higher education. Indeed, it seems likely that the peculiar nature of higher education actively encourages particular kinds of bullying. This article provides a review of the research on bullying in higher education, considering what this shows about its meaning, extent and nature, and reviews the issues that have been identified and possible solutions to them. It concludes that, while there is much that higher education institutions need to do to respond effectively to bullying, revisiting their traditions and underlying purposes should support them in doing so.

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Introduction

It would be nice to think that bullying was a childish behaviour that we left behind on finishing school, or that universities and colleges were too cultured and intellectual as institutions to have room for such behaviour, but these hopes are far from the truth. Even though this topic has only attracted the attention of higher education researchers relatively recently, having picked it up from research into bullying in schools and workplaces, the research evidence shows that bullying of all kinds is rife in higher education. Indeed, it seems likely that the peculiar nature of higher education actively encourages particular kinds of bullying.

The purpose of this article is to explore and examine the research evidence to see what it reveals about the extent and nature of bullying in higher education, the wider issues that this raises, and the possible solutions that have been put forward, trialled and evaluated. The article aims to provide a synopsis of the state of play regarding bullying in higher education at the time of writing – 2023 – which should prove useful to both future researchers and policy-makers in assessing whether and what progress has been made.

As this article presents a systematic review of the research literature on bullying in higher education, it is not organised in a typical or conventional fashion. The next section outlines the methodological approach taken. It is followed by sections that consider the meaning of bullying, the particular context of higher education, the extent of bullying in higher education, and its varied nature. The issues and possible solutions raised in the literature are then discussed, before some conclusions are reached.

Methodology

Methodologically, the article makes use of the techniques of systematic review (Jesson et al., 2011 ; Tight, 2021 ; Torgerson, 2003 ), an approach that seeks to identify, analyse and synthesize all of the research that has been published on a particular topic – in this case, bullying in higher education. In practice, of course, some limits have to be set on the scope of a systematic review, most notably in terms of the language of publication (in this case confined to English), the date of publication and the accessibility of published articles (all available articles, books and other publications identified were examined).

Databases – Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science – were searched using keywords – ‘bullying’, ‘higher education’, ‘university’, ‘college’ and related terms—to identify potentially relevant articles, books and reports that had been published on the topic. Those identified were then accessed (mostly through downloads) and examined, and retained for further analysis if they proved to be relevant. The reference lists in the articles and reports were checked for other potentially relevant sources to follow up that had not been initially identified.

These searches reveal an upswelling of interest in bullying in higher education over the last 20 years. For example, a search carried out on Scopus on 22/6/23 identified 698 articles with the words ‘bullying’, ‘higher’ and ‘education’ in their titles, abstracts or keywords, 48 of which had those three words in their titles, indicating a likely focus on the topic of interest. Similar searches using ‘bullying’ and ‘university’ identified 1361 (113) articles, while ‘bullying’ and ‘college’ found 593 (57) articles. This is a substantial and growing body of literature.

The interest in researching bullying in higher education, like the incidence of bullying, is also global in nature. While the focus on English language publications meant that the articles identified were mainly from English-speaking countries like Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, articles were also found from researchers based in countries on all continents. Within Europe, researchers from Finland (e.g. Björklund et al., 2010 ; Malik & Björkqvist, 2019 ; Meriläinen et al., 2016 ; Oksanen et al., 2022 ; Pörhölä et al., 2020 ) and Greece (e.g. Giovaziolas & Malikiosi-Loizos, 2016 ; Kokkinos et al., 2016 ; Spanou et al., 2020 ) have shown a strong interest in the topic. Other countries where bullying in higher education has been the subject of research include China (Su et al., 2022 ; Zhao et al., 2022 ), India (Kaur & Kaur, 2023 ; Sinha & Bondestam, 2022 ), Pakistan (Ahmed et al., 2022 ), South Africa (Badenhorst & Botha, 2022 ), Spain (Yubero et al., 2023 ), Turkey (Akbulut & Eristi, 2011 ) and the United Arab Emirates (Al-Damarki et al., 2022 ).

With so many publications focusing on bullying in higher education it is essential to be selective in choosing which ones to reference. In part this can be achieved by only referring to examples of the output of prolific authors, and by choosing representative or the most recently published articles on particular issues. Ultimately, however, the judgement on which publications to reference was one of quality or significance; in some cases this was evidenced by the number of times a publication was cited by others, while in others it came down to personal judgement (helped, in problematic cases, by discussion with colleagues).

The analysis presented in the remainder of this article is based on the 74 key articles selected in this way, which are indicated by an asterisk (*) in the references list: 80% (59) of these have been published since 2015.

Meaning of Bullying

Like many key terms, there is no generally accepted definition of what bullying is. It makes sense, therefore, to examine a few of the definitions available to see what they include and how they differ. Here we will compare three definitions given by national organisations—in the UK, Australia and the USA – with a keen interest in the topic.

In the UK, the Anti-Bullying Alliance defines bullying as ‘the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face to face or online’ ( www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk ). There are four key elements in this definition. Two of these, that bullying may involve individuals or groups, or may be face-to-face or online, seem highly pragmatic. However, the other two, that bullying is necessarily repetitive and intentional, and that it involves an imbalance of power, are questionable. Bullies may not, at least initially, know what they are doing, and one incident may be more than enough for those being bullied. And, as social scientists should be aware, power is not a simple, unidirectional force: those lower down the hierarchy may also bully those higher up.

From Australia, the National Centre Against Bullying offers a slightly longer explanation:

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. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening. Bullying can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). ( www.ncab.org.au )

This definition usefully introduces a distinction between overt and covert bullying, and nuances the point about power by referring to perceived power. It does, though, repeat the assertion that bullying is always intentional or deliberate, as well as introducing the debatable point that the bullied are unable to do anything about it.

Taking a third example, the American Psychological Association defines bullying in the following way:

Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words, or more subtle actions. The bullied individual typically has trouble defending him or herself and does nothing to “cause” the bullying. Cyberbullying is verbally threatening or harassing behavior conducted through such electronic technology as cell phones, email, social media, or text messaging. ( www.apa.org/topics/bullying )

This definition usefully relates bullying to other unpleasant practices, in this case aggression, harassment and threatening behaviour. Reading the literature more widely identifies a whole range of other cognate or more specialised practices, including hazing, incivility, intimidation, mobbing, stalking and victimization, as well as what is now termed cyberbullying (i.e. bullying online). Bullying may also shade into, or overlap with, other behaviours, such as banter and humour (Buglass et al., 2021 ), or be labelled differently: e.g. as hostile and intimidating behaviour (Sheridan et al., 2023 ).

The American Psychological Association definition also gives attention to the bullied as well as the bully, suggesting that they bear no blame for the bullying (which might not always be the case) and that they have trouble defending themselves. There are, of course, many more definitions of bullying available, but the three used here adequately cover the main points and issues.

Drawing elements from these definitions together, then, presents a picture of bullying as unpleasant behaviour committed by an individual or group on another individual or group. The bullying may take a variety of forms, be face-to-face or online, overt or covert, one-off or repetitive, and unintentional or deliberate. The bully may use whatever power they have to harass and intimidate the bullied. The bullied suffers physical, psychological and/or reputational damage, and finds it difficult to defend themselves.

Research into bullying in higher education clearly developed from research into bullying in schools (e.g. Alvarez-Garcia et al., 2015 ; Cretu & Morandau, 2022 ; Gaffney et al., 2019 ; Moyano & Sanchez-Fuentes, 2020 ; Zych et al., 2021 ) and workplaces (e.g. Bartlett & Bartlett, 2011 ; Einarsen et al., 2020 ; Feijo et al., 2019 ; Hoel et al., 2001 ; Nielson & Einarsen, 2018 ); which are both of longer standing, and where a number of systematic reviews have already been carried out. Indeed, part of the interest in bullying in higher education is in assessing whether it translates directly from the experience of bullying in school (for both the bullies and the bullied), and in examining whether higher education, as a particular kind of workplace, attracts particular bullying behaviours. We will address the latter next.

The Particular Context of Higher Education

Higher education is, indeed, a particular kind of workplace. This manifests itself in several interconnected ways. For a start, like most other workplaces, it is hierarchical, with different grades of academic and other staff. Yet it is also hierarchical beyond the employing institution, with academics operating within the networks of their disciplines and sub-disciplines, nationally and internationally. Academic staff have, therefore, split loyalties and responsibilities.

Within the intersecting hierarchies of institution and discipline there operates the principle of ‘academic freedom’, albeit constrained by other expectations and responsibilities. In its ideal state, each academic member of staff is seen as having the freedom to determine what they teach and how they teach it, as well as what they research and how they research it. Of course, it rarely works quite like that in practice, particularly when it comes to teaching, which is today a much more collective and large-scale activity, and constrained by the need to receive good evaluations and the recognition of professional bodies. Research often depends upon gaining specific funding, so is constrained by the funds available and the priorities of funding organisations.

Academic life and careers are also built upon competition. To build a successful academic career, each academic needs to get their name known, even if only within a relatively small field: through conference presentations, through article and book publication, through successfully obtaining research grants. Each of these activities, as well as the gaining of employment and promotion, involves peer review, when a small number of academic peers are asked to make an assessment of your worthiness (Tight, 2022 ).

Critique is at the heart of these activities, in what is effectively a zero-sum game (i.e. there are only so many posts, research grants and publication spots available at any one time). Academics may get their name known not so much for their own work but for their critique of others’ work, and what may be thought of as fair criticism by one academic may be interpreted as an effort to destroy their reputation (as bullying in other words) by another.

Certain academic relationships – notably that between a research student and their supervisor (Cheng & Leung, 2022 ; Grant, 2008 ), but also between junior and senior members of academic staff working in the same area/topic – have traditionally been characterised as master/servant, or even master/slave. The dominant party – the supervisor or the senior academic – tells the junior party what to do and then assesses how well they have done it. Even today these may be strong power relationships, and may last for years.

However, at the level of the undergraduate student, where a similar kind of relationship would historically have been carried over from school, with students not allowed to challenge the academic judgements of their lecturers and professors, practices are changing. The increased privatisation of higher education, with students required to pay substantial fees, has led to a growing recognition of the student as a customer (indeed, the prime customer), with all of the rights that customers have in other circumstances.

All of these structures, practices and assumptions, and the ways they are changing and adapting to accommodate contemporary policies and expectations, would seem to offer plentiful opportunities for different kinds of bullying to take place. In short, higher education is a near perfect environment for bullying; yet, it is also a near perfect environment for the denial of bullying. Accusations of bullying may be dismissed as fair comment or ‘the way we do things around here’, with the person(s) making the accusations themselves accused of bullying those they accuse by making unwarranted complaints.

For bullying is a matter of perception, and not just in higher education but more generally as well. So anyone who feels that they are being bullied and wishes to do something about it will have to engage with a process – of formal complaint, investigation and hopefully resolution – that will take time, be semi-public and effect their working relationships. Neither the bullied not the perceived bully are likely to come out of this process with their reputation enhanced.

Extent of Bullying in Higher Education

Many attempts have been made to estimate the extent of bullying in higher education. Focusing on staff, Keashly and Neuman ( 2013 ) give the following figures:

the estimated prevalence of bullying varies depending on the nature of the sample, the operationalization of the construct, the timeframe for experiences, and the country in which the research was conducted. The rates of bullying range from 18% to almost 68%, with several studies in the 25%-35% range. These rates seem relatively high when compared to those noted in the general population, which range from 2%-5% in Scandinavian countries, 10%-20% in the UK, and 10%-14% in the United States. (pp. 10-11; see also Keashly & Neuman, 2010 )

These figures are, indeed, high, suggesting that most people working in higher education should have direct – as bully, bullied or bystander (and many of us will, of course, have performed in two or more of these roles) – or indirect, through formal roles or relationships, experience of bullying. Indeed, the estimates are so high that we might speculate that, if you are working in higher education and are not being bullied, then you’re highly likely to be either doing the bullying (whether you recognise it or not) or at least aware that bullying is going on.

In a later work synthesizing the international survey evidence, Keashly ( 2019 ) confirms this interpretation:

Using the 12-month framework, approximately 25% of faculty will identify as being bullied. Adding in the witnessing data, the research suggests that 50–75% of faculty will have had some exposure to bullying in the prior 12 months. Extending the timeframe to career, it appears that faculty who have no exposure are in the minority! Further, bullying of faculty is notable for its duration. There is also evidence that rates of bullying differ cross-nationally and institutionally, suggestive of sociocultural influences. (p. 39)

Similar conclusions may be reached regarding non-academic staff working in higher education, though they have been much less studied. Thus, one American study of higher education administrators noted that: ‘Participants from 175 four-year colleges and universities were surveyed to reveal that 62% of higher education administrators had experienced or witnessed workplace bullying in the 18 months prior to the study’ (Hollis, 2015 , p. 1).

The estimates for students also suggest that a significant minority are directly involved in bullying as bully or bullied. In the USA, Lund and Ross ( 2017 ) note that:

Prevalence estimates varied widely between studies, but on average about 20–25% of students reported noncyberbullying victimization during college and 10–15% reported cyberbullying victimization. Similarly, approximately 20% of students on average reported perpetrating noncyberbullying during college, with about 5% reporting cyber perpetration. (p. 348)

In a four-nation comparative study, Pörhölä et al ( 2020 ) draw particular attention to variations in bullying rates amongst students and staff between countries:

The overall rates of bullying victimization and perpetration between students were the highest in Argentina, followed by the USA, Finland, and finally Estonia. However, victimization by university personnel was reported the most in Estonia, followed by Argentina, the USA, and Finland. (p. 143)

We might also, though the data is mostly not available, expect that bullying rates would vary between disciplines and departments (Bjaalid et al., 2022 ), from institution to institution, and in terms of individuals’ demographic characteristics (age, class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.).

The Nature of Bullying in Higher Education

Most of the studies on bullying in higher education that have been identified relate to either bullying amongst academic staff or amongst students. There are a much more limited number of studies concerning bullying amongst professional, administrative or support staff in higher education. More recently, a related literature has grown on cyberbullying.

Bullying amongst academic staff is portrayed as being mainly obstructional or reputational in nature: ‘Of all the types of bullying discussed in the literature, the behaviors most frequently cited in academia involve threats to professional status and isolating and obstructional behavior (i.e., thwarting the target’s ability to obtain important objectives)’ (Keashly & Neuman, 2010 , p. 53). After all, (some) academics are regularly involved in making decisions that impact upon other academics; academic life is judgemental and discriminatory. These decisions may relate to almost any aspect of academic life, from teaching allocations and course responsibilities, to promotions, publication and research grants, to the seemingly mundane but critical issues of office space and car parking.

Bullying impacts on some groups of academics more than others; in particular, and unsurprisingly, on the marginalized: ‘academic culture facilitates the marginalization of particular social identity groups… this marginalization is a reason for higher rates of bullying among gender, racial and ethnic, and sexual identity minorities in academe’ (Sallee & Diaz, 2013 . p. 42). This impact is not, of course, confined to higher education.

Bullying amongst academic staff is also believed to be changing in nature, becoming somewhat more subtle as grievance and appeal procedures are overloaded with complaints:

a shift in negative higher education workplace behaviour is occurring. This change primarily results in the well-defined and identified practice of bullying being replaced with victims enduring the accumulated impact of acts of varied disrespect such as negative comments, under the breath comments, intentionally misinterpreting instructions or spreading rumours, collectively known as incivility . (Heffernan & Bosetti, 2021 , p. 1; see also Higgins, 2023 )

The evidence shows that bullying appears to work both ways, bottom up as well as top down. Thus, deans, who oversee faculties or groups of departments and are a key part of higher education’s middle management, have been identified as particularly subject to bullying: ‘a majority of deans currently experience regular acts of bullying or incivility… Many deans believe that an inherent part of their role is that they will be bullied, and as such, part of their role is to deal with these actions’ (Heffernan & Bosetti, 2021 , p. 16). It might be expected, then, that heads of department would have a similar experience – bullied from above to meet institutional targets and from below by individual academics seeking to get their own way – but this does not appear to have been the direct object of research (yet).

One study that focused on the experience of support staff (i.e. non-academic staff) in one English university (Thomas, 2005 ) found that 19 of 42 respondents had experienced bullying within the last two years, whilst 17 had witnessed colleagues being bullied:

The top four bullying tactics ranked in frequency of reporting were undue pressure to reduce work, undermining of ability, shouting abuse, and withholding necessary information. When bullying occurred it was likely to be by a line manager. (p. 273)

From a North American context, where support staff are more usually termed professional staff, Fratzl and McKay ( 2013 ) make the point that they are ‘sandwiched between students and academics who may display aggressive behavior in order to deal with threats and meet their needs’ (2013, p. 70). Given these added pressures, it is critical that such staff are well supported.

For students, bullying may most commonly be carried out by other students, but also by academic staff. Blizard ( 2019 ), however, shows that the opposite, student-on-staff bullying, is also common. The majority, 22, of her 36 staff respondents in a Canadian university reported that they had experienced cyberbullying by students.

In the Spanish context, Gómez-Galán et al. ( 2021 ) identify the dominant form of student-on-student bullying as relational, as opposed to physical or verbal, and portray this as part of a continuing lifetime experience:

Relational victimization, which manifests itself through defamation, social exclusion, or denigration, persists in the university environment. Moreover, it does so mainly because of a pattern of relational violence that is repeated from the compulsory education stage… It constitutes what we call “the spiral of relational violence”—victimization which runs throughout the student’s life with psychological repercussions that can continue into adulthood, especially in the workplace. (p. 10)

The experience of being bullied, and of being a bully, may be deeply ingrained and lifelong (Manrique et al., 2020 ).

In a comparative study of students in China and Germany, Lin et al ( 2020 ) looked at the roles of social support, resilience and self-efficacy in mediating between bullying behaviours and mental health: ‘It was found that in both countries, higher victimization frequency was associated with lower levels of social support, personal resilience, and self-efficacy, which in turn predicted poorer mental health’ (p. 1). This is, of course, what you would expect.

As with academic staff, bullying amongst students is more often targeted at the less powerful and marginalized. Simpson and Cohen ( 2004 ) argue for the gendered nature of bullying, noting that ‘While sexual harassment is ‘overtly’ gendered, bullying also needs to be seen as a gendered activity — although at a different, and perhaps more deep-seated, level’ (p. 183). Faucher et al. ( 2019 ) confirm this pattern for cyber-bullying, while a recent systematic review carried out by Bondestam and Lundqvist (2020) found that, on average, one out of four female students reported sexual harassment.

A survey of students ( n  = 414) in one Australian university found that non-heterosexual students were much more likely (30% to 13%) to report bullying than heterosexual students (Davis et al., 2018 ). Homophobic and transphobic bullying of students is a concern in both face-to-face (Clark et al., 2022 ; Koehler & Copp, 2021 ; Rivers, 2016 ) and online (Pescitelli, 2019 ) settings.

There is also some evidence that students (and staff) working in particular disciplines, such as medicine (Björklund et al., 2020 ; Seabrook, 2004 ), are more likely to experience bullying. Such professional disciplines are clearly linked to particular kinds of workplaces, within which placements for training will be based. A greater incidence of bullying may also occur in particular kinds or levels of study; thus, the research student experience might seem to lend itself to staff-on-student bullying, but has been little researched from this perspective (Aziz, 2016 ).

Cyber-bullying in higher education is now being increasingly studied. In an international collection, Faucher et al. ( 2019 ) report the incidence of cyberbullying amongst students varying between 3% in Japan and 46% in Chile. They use the term ‘contra-power harassment’ to refer to cyberbullying of staff by students.

Other, nationally focused, studies have noted the relationship between cyberbullying and victimisation in Turkey, with some victims later becoming bullies (Akbulut & Eristi, 2011 ), identified psychological security, loneliness and age as predictors of cyberbullying in Saudi Arabia (Al Qudah et al., 2020 ), correlated cyberbullying with students’ belief in a just world in Germany (Donat et al., 2022 ), and linked the experience of cyberbullying to depression, anxiety, paranoia and suicidal feelings in the USA (Schenk & Fremouw, 2012 ).

Simmons et al. ( 2016 ) prefer the stronger term cyber-aggression to cyberbullying, and note its incidence among the members of American sororities and fraternities, where ‘racism is a theme that undergirds much of the online aggression’ (p. 108). Lee et al. ( 2022 ) examine the role of parental care and family support in moderating cyberbullying at an American university during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, when the vast majority of higher education provision went online.

Issues and Solutions

As well as examining the nature and extent of bullying in higher education, researchers have sought to better understand the issues it raises and to put forward possible solutions to it. One key issue that has attracted research is the relationship between bullying at school and bullying in higher education. Pörhölä ( 2016 ) reviews the evidence showing that both bullying and being bullied are fairly stable experiences throughout school, and then commonly continue into higher education, though the identities of the people being bullied and those doing the bullying may, of course, change. Young-Jones et al ( 2015 ) confirm these findings in the American context, and note its consequences:

students are susceptible to bullying after high school, and the effects can negatively impact college life, academic motivation, and educational outcomes. In addition, past victimization can cause academic difficulties for college students, even after the harassment has ceased. (p. 186)

Another key issue researched – turning the focus away from students and towards academics – has been the relation between bullying and the contemporary, neoliberal university. Zabrodzka et al. ( 2011 ) report on the findings of a collective biography group of academics based in the Czech Republic, Iran and Australia. They concluded that ‘bullying is co-implicated in, and justified by, the alleged need for control and improvement of our performance’ (p. 717).

In a similar study, based in Sweden, Zawadski and Jensen ( 2020 ) present their findings from a co-authored analytic autoethnography, arguing that: ‘Academics in contemporary universities have been put under pressure by the dominance of neoliberal processes, such as profit maximization, aggressive competitiveness, individualism or self-interest, generating undignifying social behaviours, including bullying practices’ (p. 398).

Of course, academics are not the only workers finding themselves under increasing pressure today. The particular nature of higher education can, however, serve to channel those pressures in a more aggressive, bullying, way.

Nelson and Lambert ( 2001 ) focus on how academic bullies get away with it, identifying a series of neutralization or normalization techniques that deflect attention away from themselves and towards those they bully:

appropriation and inversion , in which accused bullies claim victim status for themselves; evidentiary solipsism , in which alleged bullies portray themselves as uniquely capable of divining and defining the “true” meaning-structure of events; and emotional obfuscation , which takes the form of employing symbols and imagery that are chosen for their perceived ability to elicit an emotional response on the part of an academic audience. (p. 83)

With these kinds of tactics available, it would be little wonder if, in a sector of work where reputation is all important, most victims of bullying chose not to formally pursue grievances (but, of course, we don’t have this data).

Turning to the research on possible solutions to bullying in higher education, a significant amount of attention has been devoted to examining institutional policies (e.g. Barratt-Pugh & Krestelica, 2019 ; Campbell, 2016 ; Harrison et al., 2020 , 2022 ). Thus, in a relatively early, and small-scale, study conducted in an English further/higher education college, Hughes ( 2001 ) focused on identifying examples of good practice for dealing with bullying of students. He came up with an extensive list:

immediate action; good communication; informal discussions; mediation; giving a talk to a tutor group; trying not to use student nicknames; moving students to other teaching groups; choosing groups for students to work in; including students in groups which are excluding them; use of subtlety; putting complaints into writing; making students aware of their actions; and making students aware of the boundaries of acceptable behaviour (p. 12)

In a more recent study, Vaill et al., ( 2020 ; see also Vaill et al., 2023 ) examined the student anti-bullying policies of 39 Australian universities, concluding that: ‘The overall paucity of information and consistency, as well as the poor user-friendliness of many of the documents, highlights the need for changes to be made’ (p. 1262).

An American study focused on the bullying of staff examined 276 faculty codes of conduct in the context of the first amendment of the American constitution. This also concluded that current arrangements were far from satisfactory: ‘higher education institutions should change their Faculty Codes of Conduct so bullying is defined as a distinctive form of harassment, provide faculty and staff clear communications regarding how to define bullying, and offer guidance for both targets and bystanders of workplace bullying’ (Smith & Coel, 2018 , p. 96).

After providing a psycho-social-organizational analysis of the problem of faculty-on-faculty bullying in the USA, Twale ( 2018 ), like Hughes, comes up with a list of ‘practical remedies’. Her list is, however, rather longer, covering a total of 20 bullet-pointed pages (pp. 171–190). Her ‘practical remedies’ include suggestions for promoting physical and psychological health and well-being; promoting social interaction, professionalism and support; considering institutional obligations; providing institutionally sponsored training and development; giving attention to institutional values, beliefs and attitudes; and using administrative intervention strategies.

Bullying, and dealing with it effectively, is a complex and far-reaching business.

A number of general conclusions may be drawn from this review of research into bullying in higher education.

First, and most fundamentally, bullying is clearly a major problem in higher education. It is extensive, continuing, complex and arguably endemic. It involves both students and staff (academic and non-academic) and deserves much more attention.

Second, its complexity is increased by the varied dimensions in which higher education staff and, to a lesser extent, students, operate. Thus, they not only work within a particular course, department, faculty and institution, but also practice their discipline or sub-discipline nationally and internationally. Given the global nature of the higher education enterprise, and the multicultural character of many universities and colleges, we may also add to this complexity the variations in national and sub-national cultures and assumptions.

Third, bullying is a very broad and inclusive term, which includes behaviours that are now more usually discussed in the more specialised languages of, for example, sexism, racism, anti-semitism, homophobia or transphobia (i.e. affecting those who may feel particularly marginalised). To focus on these more specialised areas, however, risks ignoring the many, more commonplace types of bullying that take place, for example, between straight white men and/or straight white women.

Fourth, the role of perception in bullying has to be acknowledged. Just as the bullied have to recognise that they are being bullied for bullying to be identified, so the bullies may not realise that that is what they are doing until they are called out, and, even then, they may still not accept it for what it is. This also applies, of course, to those – individuals, departments, committees and institutions – called upon to rule on and resolve alleged instances of bullying. Naturally enough, this makes bullying so much more difficult to deal with.

Fifth, and finally, there is the question alluded to earlier in this article; namely, does higher education encourage particular kinds of bullying? Here, we need to acknowledge that universities and colleges are a particular kind of institution, to a considerable extent closed off from the outside world, within which other rules apply and high-stakes decisions affecting individuals’ futures are routinely taken. When we add in the additional pressures imposed by managerialism and neoliberalism, it is little wonder that the scope for bullying is enhanced.

It would be nice to be able to draw out from all of this research some key lessons which we all might usefully learn, and which would go some significant way to resolving the issue of bullying in higher education. But, of course, it is not that simple. Some of the key lessons to be learnt have just been summarised, and, as indicated, many institutions and individuals have set out recommendations for improving practice. And, yet, bullying remains rife in higher education across the globe.

Perhaps, instead, we also need to re-emphasise the cultural and intellectual traditions of higher education. As well as clamping down hard on all kinds of bullying, higher education institutions could usefully stress their expansive and liberatory functions. These include encouraging and supporting learning in all areas and on all topics; extending a warm welcome to all who can benefit from their provision and resources; and bringing people together to cooperate in expanding knowledge and understanding.

The university is a great institution, and one of the longest lasting that humans have created. While it has changed and expanded massively over the years, it still holds onto cherished ideas of, for example, intellectual freedom, fairness and scholarship. We need to strengthen these if we are to have any hope of overcoming bullying.

The articles asterisked (*) were identified by the systematic review.

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*Zabrodzka, K., Linnell, S., Laws, C., & Davies, B. (2011). Bullying as intra-active process in neoliberal universities. Qualitative Inquiry , 17 (8), 709-719.

*Zawadzki, M., & Jensen, T. (2020). Bullying and the neoliberal university: a co-authored autoethnography. Management Learning , 51 (4), 398-413.

*Zhao, J., Lu, X-H., Liu, Y., Wang, N., Chen, D-Y., Lin, I-A., Li, X-H., Zhou, F-C., & Wang, C-Y. (2022). The unique contribution of past bullying experiences to the presence of psychosis-like experiences in university students. Frontiers in Psychiatry , 13 (839630), 10.

*Zych, I., Viejo, C., Vila, E., & Farrington, D. (2021). School bullying and dating violence in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence and Abuse , 22(2), 397-412.

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Tight, M. Bullying in higher education: an endemic problem?. Tert Educ Manag 29 , 123–137 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-023-09124-z

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Cyberbullying and College Students: What Can Be Done?

Clinicians have a powerful voice that can be used to address cyberbullying, improve campus climate, and support a positive undergraduate experience.

TABLE. Considerations for treating cyberbullying victims and perpetrators

Cyberbullying, sometimes referred to as electronic victimization, is a public health concern in the Internet age and has been associated with multiple negative mental health outcomes. It remains under-recognized among college students; however, it is not surprising that cyberbullying occurs in college, given that college students are among the most frequent users of digital technology.

Cyberbullying in college

Cyberbullying among college students may represent a continuation of behaviors from middle and high school but in new contexts. Aggressors may use more subtle attacks that are meant to exclude or leverage power over others rather than being overtly aggressive. Prominent components of cyberbullying in college can include electronic criticisms of identity, sexual harassment, and “outing” of private information such as sexual orientation or health diagnoses without consent (eg, sexually transmitted infections, psychiatric conditions). These behaviors are considered in the context of a spectrum of aggressive behaviors that are typical concerns on college campuses, such as intimate partner violence and physical and sexual assault.

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In addition, the alarming issue of students bullying faculty members has been anecdotally described. 1 Several campuses have debated banning the location-based, anonymous app Yik Yak following postings of abusive content about faculty and students.

College students are an important population on which to focus regarding cyberbullying because older adolescence can be formative for habits that persist into young adulthood. Promotion of open dialogue and free speech is a hallmark of the college experience; however, heated online debates have the potential to devolve into personal attacks and harassment. Bullying behaviors that attack college students’ identities may have a considerable impact, given that the undergraduate years are critical for adult identity formation.

Psychiatric correlates of cyberbullying

The most concerning potential negative consequence of cyberbullying is suicide, which has been reported in mainstream media but not empirically studied in college students. One notable example is that of Tyler Clementi, a young man who died of suicide following the spread of derogatory content regarding his sexuality through social media by his college roommate. 2 There is no current research published about actual suicide attempts or completion among college students involved in cyberbullying.

A few studies have examined the negative health sequelae of cyberbullying among college students. In a study of college students who were members of fraternities or sororities, behavioral characteristics of those involved in cyberbullying included callous, unemotional traits (reflective of sociopathy). 3 Moreover, both perpetrators and victims had increased depressive symptoms and fewer social skills.

Two other studies suggest increased depression, anxiety, and suicidality in victims of cyberbullying and depression and alcohol abuse in perpetrators. 4,5 Among younger adolescents, cyberbullying has been associated with suicidality, depression, substance abuse, somatic symptoms, and school problems. 6

Reactions to cyberbullying can include feelings of depression and suicidality or feelings that may be less extreme, such as transient distress, embarrassment, and sadness. 7 In addition, bullying in college may be either electronic or face to face. Regardless, it is important to consider potential negative sequelae of cyberbullying because depression and alcohol use are already among the most common and consequential health concerns for college students. 8 Given the high prevalence of depression and alcohol abuse in this population, examination of risk factors is crucial for prevention of morbidity and mortality.

Addressing cyberbullying

When a student presents for mental health care, screening for bullying or harassment can uncover key stressors that can be targeted in treatment ( Table ). Students may not recognize a behavior as “bullying” because they may consider it to be childish or more “extreme” than their own situation.

The roles of aggressor and target are not always static. They may reverse over time, and the cyberbullying victim may choose to become an aggressor in response to the experience. Although it may seem counterintuitive, consider the aggressor as vulnerable. Adverse mental health outcomes are common not only in victims of bullying but also in the perpetrators. Research shows that aggressors may be even more at risk. 5 If a student discloses that he or she is perpetrating the cyberbullying, explore potential triggers and alternate coping mechanisms for anger and distress in a nonjudgmental way.

Recognize that cyberbullying may be just one step along the continuum of aggression. It may be taking place in the context of other forms of aggression, such as sexual harassment; or it may escalate to include offline behaviors. When you see patients involved in cyberbullying, continue to screen for escalation of experiences and behaviors to include other types of aggression. Assessment for antisocial traits and actions may aid in decisions about subsequent pharmacologic therapy for aggressive behavior.

While many middle and high schools have policies regarding consequences for bullying, such policies are rare at universities or colleges, where free speech and adult responsibility are priorities. However, most colleges consider harassment and discrimination to be unacceptable; thus, look to campus policies and consult with an ombudsperson if a student is struggling with bullying. If threats have been made that make you concerned about a student’s safety, use campus security resources as appropriate.

Mental health providers are limited in the number of individual students they can reach, but they have a powerful voice when advocating for positive, prosocial use of technology on campus, and they have allies in the students. Social media can be a platform for disclosure of mental health concerns-resident advisors can be trained to recognize “calls for help” on social media (eg, suicidal statements). And students can be educated to watch out for one another and stand up for peers if they see someone being bullied or harassed.

The undergraduate years represent the last opportunity to provide institutional support to prevent and intervene with bullying behavior. College leadership should recognize that if left unchecked, bullying tendencies may continue into the adult workplace. Workplace bullies are often characterized as manipulative and are described as using subtle techniques that are not necessarily openly hostile; such characteristics bear similarities to those of cyberbullies. As such, kindness, respect, and support of peers should be among the skills that young adults take away from college when they graduate.

Conclusions

Cyberbullying can be best understood as a form of behavior along the spectrum of campus aggression and violence. Clinicians caring for college students who report episodes of cyberbullying should recognize the links between these experiences and other health concerns, such as depression and alcohol use. Future research should focus on a better understanding of the connection between cyberbullying and other types of campus aggression, as well as interventions for those who experience cyberbullying as a victim or perpetrator. Clinicians have a powerful voice that can be used to address cyberbullying, improve campus climate, and support a positive undergraduate experience to set undergraduates on a course for success in adulthood.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

•  StopBullying.gov: http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/index.html .

•  Cyberbullying Research Center: http://cyberbullying.org/

•  CampusMindWorks: http://www.campusmindworks.org/

•  The JED Foundation. Promoting Emotional Health and Suicide Prevention: https://www.jedfoundation.org/students

Disclosures:

Dr Selkie is Clinical Lecturer in Adolescent Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Dr Moreno is Associate Professor in Adolescent Medicine at the University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital and Principal Investigator, Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team. The authors report no conflicts of interest concerning the subject matter of this article.

References:

1. Mahler J. Who spewed that abuse? Anonymous Yik Yak app isn’t telling; 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/technology/popular-yik-yak-app-confers-anonymity-and-delivers-abuse.html?_r=0 . Accessed January 12, 2016.

2. Wikipedia. Suicide of Tyler Clementi. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Suicide_of_Tyler_Clementi&oldid=681792601 . Accessed January 12, 2016.

3. Kokkinos CM, Antoniadou N, Markos A. Cyber-bullying: an investigation of the psychological profile of university student participants. J Appl Develop Psychol . 2014;35:204-214.

4. Reyns BW, Henson B, Fisher BS. Being pursued online: applying cyberlifestyle-routine activities theory to cyberstalking victimization. Crim Just Behav . 2011;38:1149-1169.

5. Selkie EM, Kota R, Chan YF, Moreno M. Cyberbullying, depression, and problem alcohol use in female college students: a multisite study. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw . 2015;18:79-86.

6. Aboujaoude E, Savage MW, Starcevic V, Salame WO. Cyberbullying: review of an old problem gone viral. J Adolesc Health . 2015;57:10-18.

7. Moreno M, Davis K, Mills J. Youth perspectives on social media and technology. Adoles Med . 2014;25:17-21.

8. Association ACH. American College Health Association: National College Health Assessment. Baltimore, MD: American College Health Association; 2013. http://www.acha-ncha.org/ . Accessed January 12, 2016.

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should I write about bullying in common app essay?

I am a student about to apply. One of my essays is about how I was bullied in middle school, so I gave up my culture to be more social, only to be introduced to a community that helped me rediscover my pride for my culture. Although the overall outcome is positive, I’ve had multiple people say that the bullying part could blacklist me from colleges since they will think that I am depressed and that I cannot function well with other people( there must be a reason why I was bullied). Yet if I change anything, the entire theme changes because it’s not about cultural rediscovery anymore. Can anybody help me?

It sounds to me as though you need a new topic. Remember, this is a sales job! It’s not true confessions, it’s “Here’s why I would be a great addition to your campus!” Find a topic that says that and write it.

How does your cultural rediscovery impact how you will be able to contribute as a student on campus? Is it related to your major? Your interests?

If this is just an essay on self identity, I would find a new topic. If it is relevant to what you’ll bring to campus, focus on that part and have the bullying be 1 -2 sentences tops.

Agree with @momofsenior1 . Bullying is a tricky topic, but if you can turn that around to say how the experience has made you a better person relative to your community (vs just finding your identity), it could be a very strong piece. S was not bullied per se, but he was picked upon at times because while he was an athlete, he was also a nerd who played piano, so he developed empathy for the kids that were always picked upon. He stood up for his friends in the nerd camp who were bullied, he was not afraid to take the unpopular view in or out of class either as an intellectual exercise or as a matter of conviction. He wove his Common App essay around these themes and anecdotes to portray an empathetic, open minded and curious person.

Colleges aren’t looking for an essay on cultural rediscovery. As @bjkmom said, your essay is a sales pitch, that presents parts of you that are not obvious from the other parts of your application, and that make the AO’s say ‘ooooh, this is a good one- just the kind of student we need as part of our class this year’.

It’s not about ‘blacklist’ or no-go topics: it’s that what matters is not the topic but what it says about you now- what you bring to the campus. It is hard to write well about these sorts of issues when they are so close in time and so close to your heart.

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College Essay Writing Sample On Bullying

• Author Writer

Bullying in Colleges

Bullying is a worldwide problem. Students are get mocked and teased over their weaknesses in colleges every day. Bullying is aggressive behavior that shows a lack of empathy and a lack of care towards the weaknesses of other students. The action is intentional, it causes harm and damage to student’s mental and physical health and leads to unbearable consequences.

Prevention Against Bullying

Jantzer & Cashel (2017) suggested that prior victimization among college students has been associated with higher emotional loneliness, difficulties in sustaining friendships, lower self-esteem, more fearful commitment, lower health-related quality of life, higher rates of abuse at work, lower quality of friendship, social anxiety, and lower levels of trust. Some previous work has focused on the traits of bullies and offenders in primary and secondary school. Few results for former bullying victims varied from those for adult peers, with significant examples of depression and reduced self-esteem, indicating that almost all of the victim's maladaptive traits were contextually determined.

In some way, all kids get influenced by bullying. The majority of children are not bullying others and are not offenders but they do play a part. Children who look away, watch or engage by verbally promoting bullying are considered "bystanders." Sometimes the children don't know they're only watching to add to the issue. Many bystanders, who do little to help the victim, are later afflicted by a lack of empathy for themselves. Unfortunately, the abuser is more likely to be helped by other bystanders than helping the victim. Getting an audience around when students bully is very necessary and bystanders provide the need.

Alan (2019) says improving positive character qualities in young people, such as resilience, courage, and self-esteem can help to minimize the long-term negative effects of bullying. Moreover, this form of action should also be combined with well-designed, school and teachers-led anti-bullying strategies. Parents play a significant role in children’s life. Parents should observe and listen to their children carefully. Children should be asked regularly by parents about everyday activities. Observe any irregular behavior and ask them sensitively without getting angry or upset. Parents should remind them about their strengths and make them feel strong.

Lee (2017) mentions that all parties’ involvement is important, that are teachers, parents, school staff and friends should collaborate, rather than assuming that the suspect is responsible to ensure reconciliation and improved behavior. The rules and procedures must be clear and consistent to ensure the safety and health of students in every way possible. The students should be empowered to take responsibility for changing and upholding their behavior. Early intervention at the first signs of a problem is necessary to avoid any further damage.

Anti-bullying should be taught by colleges through role-playing. Colleges should have transparent and easy procedures for help against bullying. College should be aware students of the ways and places to help. Parents and adults need to teach the students, how to tackle bullying. Students need to understand that, there are so many like them and it is alright to speak about insecurities. Sometimes, only a person's voice can bring attention to the issue and many other people voice their opinions.

Jantzer, Amanda Macht, and Mary Louise Cashel. "Bullying Victimization, College Adjustment, and the Role of Coping.”  Journal of College Student Development , vol. 58, no. 2, 2017, pp. 283–289., doi:10.1353/csd.2017.0020. Mozes, Alan. "School Bullying's Impact Can Last a Lifetime: Study".  Usnews.Com , 2019.

Lee, Chris.  Preventing Bullying in Schools: a Guide for Teachers and Other Professionals . Paul Chapman, 2017.

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