Glossary
Accountability – Holding someone responsible for his or her actions
Aggression – Acting out, often in a violent manner, toward people and/or animals
Anti-bullying – A stance that is against bullying in all its forms
Anti-Bullying Act of 2005 (H.R. 284) – A bill that was introduced in the House of Representatives that includes cyberbullying in its definition of bullying behavior if the bullying is done of school computers and other forms of technology
Anti-Social Personality Disorder – A psychiatric condition in which the sufferer violates the rights of others or does not conform to socially acceptable behavior
Assault – A physical attack on another person
Blame – The act of holding another person or group responsible for your actions, faults, etc.
Bully – The tormenting of others by using verbal harassment, physical assault, or even other methods such as manipulation and gossip
Bully-proof – A term used to describe children who are immune to bullying, whether naturally or by instruction.
Bullycide – A suicide as the result of bullying.
Bystander – A person who observes but does not participate; bystanders may serve as enablers of bullies.
Civil Rights: Those rights established to all United States citizens through the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments. It is often used in reference to the rights that were extended to minority groups.
Common Concern Method – A method of working with bullies and victims that is designed to lessen the pathological impact of bullying on children and that helps bullies understand the feelings of their victims and helps all parties involved reach a solution.
Conduct Disorder – A mental health disorder that is often diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence that is characterized by a pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or societal norms are violated.
Cyberbullying – A form of bullying that is perpetrated on the Internet, especially via e-mail, instant messenger, and chat rooms.
Depression – A state of mental health characterized by extreme melancholy, sadness, and inadequacy.
Domestic violence – A form of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse directed towards one’s significant other.
Harassment: To make repeated attacks against someone in an effort to disturb or hurt them.
Hate crime – A crime perpetrated against someone based on their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
Hippo – An analogy used to help break down the denial of a problem and to help acknowledge that it needs to be addressed.
Hypervigilence – A state of heightened sensory sensitivity that allows one to detect threats.
In loco parentis – A legal concept in which educational personnel assume guardianship duties and responsibilities when children are at school.
Intervention – An attempt, whether by one person or a group, to stop a certain action; in this case, bullying.
Intimidation – A technique that combines threats and fear used to make a weaker person do something.
Isolation – Separation from a person or a group, especially socially.
Juvenile Justice System – The legal system in which juveniles are processed, adjudicated, and corrected.
Mean girls - A type of bullying perpetrated by girls in which backstabbing, exclusion, and rumors are used to isolate and terrorize a victim.
Mental Health: The condition of psychological stability.
Mobbing – The act of several bullies working together to harm their target.
Negligence – As related to bullying, the act of a school employee failing to act to prevent bullying and to protect victims, especially because they have a duty to do so.
Omerta – The rule of silence; often used in the mafia.
Peer group – A grouping of people based on their age.
Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome - A condition characterized in which a person often relives traumatic events from his or her past.
Racial Slur: A disparaging remark made about someone’s skin color.
Red flag – A term used to describe warning signs that a child is a bully or is the victim of bullying.
Rumor – Misinformation that is maliciously spread in order to isolate someone.
Self-esteem – A person’s sense of self-worth and how much he or she values his or herself.
Sexual harassment – A form of harassment in which the victim is subjected to unwanted sexual comments and advances.
Stalking – The act of purposely and repeatedly following and harassing another person.
Substance abuse – The use of any addictive substance – be it drugs or alcohol – for non-therapeutic purposes.
Suicide – The act of taking one’s own life.
Supreme Court: The highest court in the United States as established by Article III of the constitution. The rulings of the nine justices determine precedents for cases heard by lower courts.
Target – A person who is the aim of a bully, especially for ridiculing and exploitative purposes.
Tattletale – A person who reports others’ wrongdoings to an authority figure.
Truancy – The failure of a child to attend school, especially an absence that is not legitimate.
Unconditional love – The act of loving someone regardless of his or her actions, beliefs, etc.
Victim – The person against whom a crime was committed; in this case, the target of a bully.
Witness – A person who sees an event take place.
Zero tolerance – A policy that strictly enforces the rules and/or laws.