👊 Physical
Hitting, pushing, kicking or damaging someone's belongings.
Peace and Conflict: Key Ideas » Bullying and Cyberbullying
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 1, 3.3
- What bullying and cyberbullying are, the main types and why they happen
- The effects of bullying on the person bullied, the bully and bystanders
- Social, legal and religious attitudes to bullying
- Ways to solve bullying and where to get help
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Unlock This CourseWhat is bullying?
Bullying is behaviour that is meant to hurt someone, happens again and again, and involves an imbalance of power. The person doing it is stronger, more popular or more confident in some way, so the person on the receiving end finds it hard to stop. One unkind remark in an argument between equals is not usually bullying. Being picked on week after week is.
Modern technology has created cyberbullying: bullying through phones, social media, messaging and online games. It is different from face-to-face bullying in three ways:
📱 It follows you
It can reach a person anywhere, at any time, even at home at night.
⚡ It spreads fast
One cruel post or photo can be shared with many people in minutes.
🎭 It can be anonymous
The bully can hide behind a fake name, so the person bullied may not know who it is.
Key terms:
- Bullying: repeated behaviour meant to hurt someone, with an imbalance of power.
- Imbalance of power: when one person or group is stronger or has more influence than the other.
- Cyberbullying: bullying carried out online or by phone.
- Bystander: a person who sees bullying happen but is not the bully or the person bullied.
Types of bullying
🗣️ Verbal
Name-calling, insults, teasing and threats.
😔 Social or emotional
Leaving people out on purpose, spreading rumours and making someone feel they do not belong.
💬 Online
Hurtful messages, posts, fake accounts, shared photos, or being shut out of a group chat or game.
Bullying can also be prejudice-based. This means it targets someone because of their race, religion, disability, sex or sexuality. Prejudice and discrimination are studied in more depth in The Multi-Ethnic Society, Racism and Racial Harmony.
Key term: Prejudice-based bullying: bullying aimed at someone because of who they are, such as their race, religion, disability, sex or sexuality.
Why does bullying happen?
There is no single reason. Common causes include:
- Wanting power or status: the bully feels important by controlling others.
- Insecurity: a person who feels weak or unhappy inside may try to make others feel worse.
- Prejudice: disliking people because they seem different.
- Copying others: the person sees bullying treated as normal and joins in.
- Having been bullied: someone who has been hurt may pass the hurt on.
- Group pressure: people join in so that they are not the next target.
Knowing the reasons does not excuse bullying, but it helps people to tackle it at the source.
The effects of bullying
😢 The person bullied
May feel scared, lonely and ashamed. They may lose confidence, sleep badly, avoid clubs and friends, or become depressed or anxious. In the most serious cases a person may think of harming themselves.
😤 The bully
May be punished, lose friends and trust, and get used to solving problems with aggression. Often there are problems behind the behaviour that need help.
👀 Bystanders
May feel guilty, afraid or powerless. If nobody speaks up, bullying can seem acceptable and spread.
Attitudes to bullying
Social attitudes. Bullying is taken far more seriously than it used to be. In the past it was often brushed off as 'just part of growing up'. Today people understand how much harm it does. Charities work to prevent it and support those affected, and in the UK there is an Anti-Bullying Week every November to raise awareness.
The law. In the UK, bullying is not a crime in itself. However, actions that often go with it, such as harassment (repeated unwanted behaviour that causes distress), threats and hate crime (a crime committed because of hostility towards someone's race, religion, disability, sex or sexuality), are crimes, whether they happen online or face to face.
Religious attitudes. Many religions teach that every person has worth and should be treated with respect and care, and that people should treat others as they wish to be treated. Because of this, bullying is generally seen as wrong. Religious teachings on inclusion, welcoming everyone and not leaving anyone out, are used to challenge bullying. Believers may respond in different ways. Each religion's own teachings are studied in that religion's lessons.
Non-religious attitudes. Humanists and other non-religious people also oppose bullying. They point to empathy, human dignity and the equal worth of everyone, without relying on a God.
Solutions to bullying
🤝 Telling and support
Telling a trusted adult is the first step. The person bullied needs listening to, support and reassurance that it is not their fault.
📢 Bystanders speak up
Bystanders can refuse to join in, support the person bullied, and report what they see. When bullies lose their audience, the bullying often loses its power.
🛡️ Reporting and blocking
Online, a person can report the content, block the account and keep screenshots as evidence.
🎓 Education
Teaching young people about respect, difference and online behaviour helps to stop bullying before it starts.
Restorative approaches bring the bully and the person bullied together, if both agree, so that the bully understands the harm done and tries to put it right. Many religions value this because it links to forgiveness and making peace, as in Peace, Pacifism, Forgiveness and Reconciliation.
If you are being bullied: talk to a trusted adult, or call Childline free on 0800 1111.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes
- Calling every argument bullying. Bullying is repeated, meant to hurt and involves an imbalance of power.
- Saying bullying is a crime in itself. It is not, but harassment, threats and hate crime are.
- Forgetting the bystanders. They are affected too, and they can be part of the solution.
- Writing 'religions say bullying is wrong' with no reason. Give the teaching, such as every person has worth, and say why it matters.
Exam-style question
Paper 1 style
(a) Identify three types of bullying. [3 marks] (AO1)
(b) Outline two ways in which cyberbullying is different from other types of bullying. [4 marks] (AO1)
(c) Explain why some people bully others. [6 marks] (AO1, AO2)
(d) 'Religious teachings are the best way to stop bullying.'
Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks] (AO1, AO2)
Model answer
(a) 1. Physical bullying (1) 2. Verbal bullying (1) 3. Social or emotional bullying (1). Online bullying or prejudice-based bullying would also be accepted.
(b) Cyberbullying can follow a person anywhere (1), so they cannot escape it even at home (1). It can be anonymous (1), so the person bullied may not know who is doing it (1). It also spreads fast, as one post can be shared with many people in minutes.
(c) Some people bully because they want power or status. Controlling others makes them feel important, and the imbalance of power lets them get away with it. Others bully because they are insecure: they feel weak inside, so they try to make someone else feel worse. Prejudice is another reason, because a person who dislikes others for being different may target them for their race, religion or disability. Some people copy others, seeing bullying treated as normal, and some join in because of group pressure, as they fear they will be the next target. People who have been bullied themselves may also pass the hurt on. These reasons explain bullying but do not excuse it. (Level 2: several developed reasons, with key terms used correctly.)
(d) Plan. For: many religions teach that every person has worth and should be treated as we would want to be treated; teachings on inclusion challenge prejudice-based bullying; religious communities can offer support and teach forgiveness and restorative approaches; believers may feel a duty to speak up. Against: not everyone is religious, and humanists oppose bullying based on empathy and equal human worth; bullying also happens among religious people, so teachings alone do not stop it; practical steps such as reporting and blocking online, laws against harassment and threats, and education work whatever a person believes. Religion: add a teaching from your own religion about respect, compassion or treating others well, and say how it could be used against bullying. Possible conclusion: religious teachings can be a strong moral reason to stop bullying and can change attitudes, but they work best alongside practical solutions such as telling a trusted adult, bystanders speaking up and the law, so they are not the only best way.
Exam tip
In (c), give a reason and then explain it with 'because' or 'this means'. A list of causes with no explanation stays in Level 1.