What is Bullying?
The Fair Work Act defines ‘bullying’ as ‘repeated unreasonable behaviour towards another person or group which creates a risk to health and safety’. Bullying is deliberately hurting a specific person either physically, verbally, psychologically or socially. It can be carried out by one person or several people who are either actively or passively involved. In a sporting context bullying can take many forms, for example:
• an official being aggressive or intimidating to others
• a parent telling a child that they are incompetent, hopeless, useless, etc.
• a coach alienating an athlete (adult or child)
• several people ganging-up on an individual team member
• an athlete calling a referee names and using offensive language
• an administrator mocking or humiliating a young coach.
Cyberbullying is defined as ‘online communication to or about an Australian child that is seriously threatening, seriously intimidating, seriously harassing or seriously humiliating’. Cyberbullying can include posts, comments, emails, messages, memes, images and videos. Adult cyber abuse is online communication to or about a person +18 years old which is intended to cause them serious harm. It must be communicated through a social media service, relevant electronic service or designated internet service and includes posts, comments, emails, messages, memes, images and videos.
Not all behaviour which makes an individual upset or anxious is bullying. For example, if someone makes an inappropriate comment but it is made once and is not repeated, this is not bullying. A one-off incident of inappropriate behaviour, however, may constitute a breach of a Code of Conduct.