Bullying is far more complex than the simple act of belittling another human being. It is a social ill with a price, that has multiple forms, and affects up to 86% of teens regularly (Coloroso). Kathiann Kowalski, author for Current Health, has characterized bullying as a repeated aggressive behavior that has not been aroused by anything, just sheer meanness. It is a shape of intimidation, which is devised to threaten, frighten, or coerce someone.
In order to suppress the bullying problem, it is first important that educators, counselors, parents, and students know the characteristics of a bully. This can at times be difficult, as many simply assume that because they might not see bullying happening explicitly on a large scale, that it doesn’t happen, or at least, ‘not at my school.’ But the statistical reality is that the size of school, setting, and even racial composition have little to nothing to say about the capacity for bullying to occur-- in essence, bullying is an “equal opportunity torment” to quote Education World writer, Colleen Newquist.
The precise definition of a bully as defined by educational leader and bullying prevention expert, Dan Olweus, is “one who attempts to intentionally inflict injury or discomfort on another person.” But this serves as little basis for what concerned people should look for in individuals who may be engaging in bullying behavior. To start, boys do more bullying than girls, often driven by a “need to feel power and control” (Banks). Bullies tease, taunt, threaten, physically beat, and can come in groups of one or more students. These people derive satisfaction from inflicting injury and suffering upon others, before turning around and rationalizing their actions by claiming that their victim(s) provoked them (Banks). Students deemed bullies often display defiance towards adult authority and feel completely fine breaking