There are all kinds of behavior that can be thought of as bullying behavior. Some behaviors are just mean.

There are 4 components of Bullying Behavior:

Is there an imbalance of power?

Is this behavior repeated and not friendly?

Is the behavior intended to be harmful?

Is the student doing the bullying behavior have a negative affect?

These behaviors are not bullying:

teasing is done in a friendly and playful way

when two students of about equal strength or power argue or fight.

The following behaviors are unacceptable, but may not be bullying:

*saying mean and hurtful things or make fun of a child or call him or her mean and hurtful names;

*completely ignore or exclude a child from their group of friends or leave a child our of things on purpose;

*hit, kick, push, shove around, or lock a child inside a room;

*tell lies or spread false rumors about a child or send a child mean notes and try to make other students dislike a child

other hurt.