Lesson 1 of 6 · about 5 min
What bullying is
Name the three elements — unwanted behavior, power imbalance, repetition or its likelihood — and the four forms they can take.
Step 1 of 6
The idea
Monday standup. For the third week running, the same colleague opens with a joke at your expense — your accent, your slides, the sales figure you misread back in March. People laugh, a little. You laugh too, because what else do you do. On the walk back to your desk you wonder if you are overreacting.
The educational definition of bullying has three elements: unwanted harmful behavior, a real or perceived power imbalance, and repetition — or a high likelihood that it will repeat. One element alone is usually something else. The three together form a pattern.
The power imbalance does not need a job title. Seniority counts, but so does popularity, holding information you need, having the group on their side, or simply being the person whose version of events gets believed.
Repetition is what separates a pattern from a bad day. One cutting remark can be rude and still hurt. The same remark, from the same person, aimed at the same target, week after week, is a different thing. Some workplace policies also treat a single serious incident as enough — repetition is the common signal, not the only one.
The behavior can be verbal, social, physical, or online. The channel changes; the pattern does not.
These guides help you recognize patterns and find safe options. They cannot judge a real situation or give legal advice.