What is Bullying and Cyberbullying?
Source: https://reportandsupport.warwick.ac.uk/pages/what-is-bullying-and-cyberbullying Parent: https://reportandsupport.warwick.ac.uk/support/bullying-and-cyberbullying
Whether you’re a student or a staff member, bullying is never okay.
Bullying and harassment are contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, the Equality Act 2010 and the University of Warwick’s Dignity Principles Policy.
What is Bullying?
Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour involving the misuse of power.
Power does not always mean being in a position of authority but can include both personal strength and the power to coerce through fear or intimidation.
Bullying can take the form of physical, verbal, non-verbal and online conduct. Actions may constitute bullying whether or not the person behaving inthat way intends to cause offence. This also applies to people who are not the subject of the bullying, but who may witness and be offended by it.
Examples of bullying include, but are not limited to:
- shouting at, being sarcastic towards, ridiculing or demeaning others
- overbearing and intimidating levels of supervision
- inappropriate and/or derogatory remarks about someone's performance
- abuse of authority or power by those in positions of seniority
- deliberately excluding someone without good reason
- Bullying can take the form of persistent behaviour or a single action
Important to note: There are differences between bullying and assertive management. Bullying is always unfair and may undermine someone’s efforts to perform well. Assertive management, on the other hand, may involve setting demanding – but fair and achievable – targets and standards of behaviour appropriate to someone’s job, grade and level of responsibility.
What is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones. It is repeated behaviour, aimed at scaring, angering or shaming those who are targeted.
Examples include:
- spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos or videos of someone on social media
- sending hurtful, abusive or threatening messages, images or videos via messaging platforms
- impersonating someone and sending mean messages to others on their behalf or through fake accounts
- engaging in sexual harassment or bullying using generative AI tools
Face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying can often happen alongside each other. But cyberbullying leaves a digital footprint – a record that can prove useful and provide evidence to help stop the abuse.
Behaviour Misconduct, Student Harassment, Sexual Misconduct