Bullying can come in many forms such as verbal harassment, physical assault and emotional.  Emotional bullying can be less noticeable and come in the form of coercion or manipulation.  It does not only exist at school among children, many adults also experience bullying.  In addition to schools, bullying can happen in places like religious communities, the workplace, home and neighborhoods.  Victims usually have less physical strength and carry less social power than their abuser.  Many child bullies come from abusive homes and adult bullies usually experience some form of abuse at work from coworkers.  

Some examples of bullying are name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situations, physical abuse, or coercion.  Bullying has been put into two different categories: direct and indirect.  Direct bullying is physical including shoving, throwing things, slapping, choking, punching, beating, stabbing, pulling hair, scratching, biting, and pinching.  Indirect bullying is social including gossip, out casting, and making fun of a person's clothing or appearance.

Bullying can have many negative effects on individuals.  It can cause large amounts of stress, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, physical illness school shootings and sometimes suicide.  Some obvious signs that your child is being bullied are bruises or other injuries, but sometimes it is not as easy to spot.  Some signs to look for are a change in behavior or mood, appearing anxious, loss of appetite, excessive sleeping, and if they become uninterested in the things that used to make them happy.  Also pay attention to see if they are intentionally avoiding certain situations like bus rides or events.  In 2003, the children’s charity passed the Act Against Bullying in order to help children being victimized by bullies.