😔 The person bullied
They suffer fear, loneliness and pain. Buddhists do not blame the victim, and they want the suffering to stop.
Buddhist Beliefs about Peace and Conflict » Buddhist Attitudes to Bullying
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 1, 3.3 (Buddhism)
- Why Buddhists see bullying as unskilful action that harms both the victim and the bully
- How right speech, right action, metta and karuna shape Buddhist attitudes, even towards the bully
- Why working towards a peaceful society, and including everyone, matters to Buddhists
- Buddhist solutions to bullying, including cyberbullying
🔒 Unlock Full Course Content
Sign up to access the complete lesson and track your progress!
Unlock This CourseBullying as unskilful action
The lesson Bullying and Cyberbullying explained what bullying is, the types of bullying, why it happens and the law. This lesson looks only at what Buddhists teach about it.
The lesson The Three Poisons: Greed, Hatred and Ignorance in Buddhism explained that unskilful action comes from greed, hatred and ignorance. Buddhists see bullying as a clear example. A person who bullies may be acting from hatred (anger at someone), from greed (wanting power or attention) or from ignorance (not seeing how much pain they cause, or not understanding that everyone wants to be happy).
Buddhists also believe in kamma (karma): actions that come from the three poisons have unhappy results. This means that bullying harms two people.
😤 The bully
Hatred and cruelty feed on themselves, so the bully's mind becomes more troubled. Buddhists also believe bullying creates bad kamma, which brings suffering to the bully in the future.
Key terms:
- Mindfulness: paying calm, full attention to what you are thinking, feeling and doing right now.
- Restoring harmony: repairing relationships after harm so that people can live together peacefully again.
Right speech, right action, metta and karuna
Several Buddhist teachings guide how Buddhists think about bullying.
- Right speech means speaking truthfully and kindly. Buddhists try to avoid harsh words, lies and gossip that divides people. Name-calling, spreading rumours and cruel messages go against it.
- Right action means acting in ways that do not harm others. Hitting, pushing or damaging a person's things goes against it. It links to the first precept, which is to try not to harm living beings.
- Metta (loving-kindness) means wishing all beings well. Karuna (compassion) means feeling for the suffering of others and wanting to ease it.
An important Buddhist point is that metta and karuna are for everyone, including the bully. Dhammapada verses 129-130 say that all beings tremble at violence and hold life dear, so a person should put themselves in the place of others and not harm or kill them. A bully is also a person who is suffering from hatred or fear, so Buddhists hope the bully can learn a better way, not be hated in return. As in the lesson Buddhist Peacemaking and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Dhammapada verse 5 applies here too: hatred is calmed by non-hatred, so the bully is not to be hated in return.
Do not mix up
Compassion for the bully does not mean allowing the bullying to carry on. Buddhists want it to stop, because it harms everyone.
A peaceful society and inclusion
Buddhists believe a peaceful society is important because conflict and cruelty cause dukkha (suffering). A society where people treat each other kindly makes it easier for everyone to live well and to follow the Buddhist path. Working for peace starts with small things: how we speak to the people around us, in person and online.
Buddhists also teach inclusion. The Buddha taught that a person is judged by their actions, not by the family or group they were born into, and the Sangha (the Buddhist community) welcomed people of different backgrounds. Many Buddhists therefore believe nobody should be left out or picked on because of who they are. Bullying that targets a person for their race, religion, disability or sexuality goes against this teaching.
Buddhist solutions to bullying
Buddhists suggest practical ways to deal with bullying. Not every Buddhist would choose the same one, but these are common:
🧘 Mindfulness
Being mindful helps a person notice anger or unkind thoughts before they act on them. A person being bullied can use it to stay calm. A bully can use it to see the harm they are doing.
💖 Loving-kindness practice
Many Buddhists practise a meditation in which they wish themselves and others well, including people they find difficult. Over time it weakens hatred.
📢 Speaking up
Compassion calls for action. Telling a trusted adult, standing beside the person being bullied and refusing to join in are all ways of acting on the first precept.
A fourth idea is restoring harmony. Buddhists would prefer that the bully understands the harm done and makes amends, so that the relationships in a group or community are healed, not just punished. This links to the idea of restorative approaches from the lesson Bullying and Cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying
The same teachings apply online. A hurtful message or an unkind post is wrong speech, and sharing it makes the harm bigger. A Buddhist might ask before posting: Is it true? Is it kind? Will it cause suffering? A mindful person pauses before pressing send. Buddhists would also say that a person who sees cyberbullying should not stay silent or join in, but should show compassion to the person targeted and report it.
Common mistakes
- Saying Buddhists think the bully is evil. Buddhists see bullying as unskilful action that comes from the three poisons, and they feel compassion for the bully too.
- Saying compassion means putting up with bullying. Buddhists want it to stop.
- Only describing the teachings. Explain why, for example: because of kamma, bullying harms the bully as well as the victim.
Exam-style question
Paper 1 (b) [AO1] Choose one religion. Outline two teachings about bullying in this religion. [4 marks]
Paper 1 (c) [AO1, AO2] Choose one religion. Explain why followers of this religion might work to stop cyberbullying. [6 marks]
Paper 1 (d) [AO1, AO2] "The best way to stop bullying is to show kindness to the bully."
Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks]
Model answer
(b) (Buddhism) Buddhists teach that bullying is unskilful action that comes from greed, hatred or ignorance (1), so it harms both the person bullied and the bully through kamma (1). They also teach right speech, which means speaking truthfully and kindly (1), so name-calling and spreading rumours are wrong (1).
(c) (Buddhism) Buddhists believe in karuna, compassion for people who suffer (1), and cyberbullying causes real suffering to the person targeted (1). Right speech means not using hurtful words, and online messages can be seen by many people, so the harm spreads (1). The first precept asks Buddhists not to harm others, and Buddhists would see cruel posts as a way of harming (1). Because of kamma, cyberbullying also creates bad results for the person who does it, so Buddhists want to help them change (1). A peaceful society matters to Buddhists, and online cruelty damages it (1).
(d) Plan. For: Buddhists teach metta and karuna for all beings, including the bully; Dhammapada verse 5 says hatred is calmed by non-hatred, not by hatred; bullies often act from fear or hatred and kindness may help them to change; mindfulness and loving-kindness practice can weaken hatred. Against: kindness alone may not protect the person bullied, who may need adults to step in and the bullying to be stopped; there may need to be clear rules and consequences, and the law covers harassment and threats; humanists would say that practical action and empathy matter, without needing a religion. Even Buddhists say compassion must be joined to speaking up and acting. Conclusion: a balanced answer might say kindness to the bully is an important part, but "the best way" is too strong, because victims must be protected and the bullying must be stopped as well. Judge each argument as you go.
Exam tip
For a "Choose one religion" question, name the religion and use its own terms, such as kamma, right speech, metta and karuna. Say why each teaching leads to the attitude, because that is what lifts an answer into the top level.