Negative actions can include physical contact, words, making faces or dirty gestures, and intentional exclusion from a group. Thus, the hallmark of bullying behavior is an ongoing pattern of physical or psychological aggression that is threatening, coercive, relentless, and leaves the victim feeling powerless. The bully is not necessarily bigger or stronger but rather is someone who is intimidating. In fact there is usually more than one bully and more than one victim. The bully may be in charge but may not be one caught.
Bullying is a pervasive problem for school children in the U.S. as well as internationally.
Boys and girls tend to use different types of bullying behavior. Victims have also been found to have certain features in common. In light of this, we now realize that bullies should not be the sole focus of interventions intended to reduce the incidence of bullying and victimization. It's more complicated than that. Bullies and victims are not just two sides of the same coin.