Safe and Accepting Schools

Rough Play

• Usually friends or friendly towards each other​​
  
• Often repeated with same players
• Balance of power
  
• Equal, consensual reaction
• Not seeking power or attention
• No intention to harm
• Intent is fun – if goes wrong, then remorseful
• Not regarded as a ​problem​​​​
  

Conflict

• Usually acquaintances or friends
• Can be occasional or ongoing
• Conflict is centred around disagreement or a dispute or an issue 
• Could centre around misunderstanding, misinformation, or no common ground
• Power relatively equal
• Equal or near equal emotional reaction
• Not seeking power or attention
• No intent to harm
• Remorse and generally takes responsibility unless fearful of the consequences
• Can be resolved on their own or with aid of third party​
  

Bullying​

• Typically not friends; however may have had a relationship previously
• Intentional target
• Repeated and persistent
• Unequal power
• Bully’s reaction meets own intrinsic need for power and control (consciously or unconsciously)
• Strong emotional, mental, and physical reaction for target
• Attempt to gain power and control, possessions, or popularity
• Intent to harm, humiliate, exclude, or victimize
• Threats of physical or emotional harm
• Bully may or may not show remorse
• Bully may or may not know what they are doing is wrong
• Bully may blame target or believe the target deserves it
• Bully may deny there is a problem
• Requires active intervention and support by third party
• Target may not be able to articulate
  

Types of Bullying

• Physical Bullying may include hitting, kicking, tripping, pinching, pushing, and/or damaging property. 
• Verbal Bullying may include name calling, insults, teasing, intimidation, homophobic or racist remarks, and/or verbal abuse. 
• Social Bullying, sometimes referred to as covert bullying, is often harder to recognize and can be carried out behind someone’s back as it is designed to harm someone’s social reputation and/or cause humiliation. It may include lying or spreading rumours about someone, encouraging others to exclude someone socially, or playing nasty jokes one someone to embarrass or humiliate them and damage their social standing. 
• Cyber Bullying is intentional and repeated harm through the use of computers, smartphones, social media, instant messaging, websites, and other online platforms. It may consist of deliberately excluding someone online, spreading nasty rumours or gossip, imitating others online or using their passwords, and/or sending abusive or hurtful tests, emails, posts, videos, or images.