Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

Key Takeaways

• Most authorities define bullying as intentional, unwanted aggression that involves a power imbalance and repetition or a high likelihood of repetition; common forms include physical, verbal, social/relational, and cyberbullying.

• While many formal definitions focus on youth settings, the same core elements apply to adult workplaces, where bullying often overlaps with harassment, hostile work environment, and workplace violence risks.

• Bullying that targets protected characteristics (like race, sex, disability, or religion) may be unlawful harassment; even non-protected bullying can create safety, mental-health, and workers’ compensation issues.

• Digital conduct counts: cyberbullying uses electronic devices and platforms, travels beyond work hours, and can be documented and traced in ways useful for HR investigations and legal claims.

• If bullying causes psychological or physical injury, workers’ compensation, ADA accommodations, and safety laws may come into play; timely documentation and reporting are critical.

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• What Is Bullying?

• Common Forms and Behaviors

• Physical Bullying

• Verbal Bullying

• Social/Relational Bullying

• Cyberbullying

• Bullying vs. Harassment and Workplace Violence

• Bullying in Workplaces: Risks and Realities

• Cyberbullying at Work: Why It Matters

• Power Imbalance and Repetition: Why They Matter

• When Bullying Becomes Unlawful Harassment

• Documenting Bullying for HR, Safety, and Legal Protection

• Workers’ Compensation and Bullying-Related Injuries

• Policy and Prevention: What Effective Employers Do

• Comparative Definitions Across Authorities

• Single-Incident Conduct: When It’s More Than Bullying

• Emerging Trends: Remote Work, Social Media, and AI

• Conclusion

• FAQ

Introduction

When people search “define bullying,” they are usually trying to understand what behavior crosses the line from rude or unprofessional to harmful and abusive. Workers also want to know how that definition applies at work, whether it’s illegal, and what to do when it starts damaging health, safety, or career. This week’s workers’ compensation trends focus explores the leading definitions, how they translate into workplace realities, and how clear definitions drive smarter reporting, safer workplaces, and stronger claims when injuries occur.

There is broad agreement on the core elements of bullying: unwanted aggressive behavior, intent to harm or intimidate, an imbalance of power, and repetition or a high likelihood of repetition. Below, we compare reputable definitions, explain common behaviors (including cyberbullying), and show where bullying fits within workplace law, safety rules, and workers’ compensation.

What Is Bullying?

At its core, bullying involves deliberate aggression used to dominate or harm someone perceived as less powerful. Encyclopedic sources describe bullying as the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing, or threats to abuse, dominate, or intimidate others, emphasizing intent and harm across physical and social forms as well as digital behavior like cyberbullying, as summarized by Wikipedia’s definition of bullying.

Health authorities echo those elements. MedlinePlus explains that bullying is when a person or group repeatedly harms someone on purpose and notes it can be physical, social, and verbal. The CDC defines bullying—particularly in youth contexts—as unwanted aggressive behaviors by peers not in a close relationship, highlighting repetition and power imbalance. While that CDC framing is youth-focused, the same elements describe abusive behavior patterns in adult workplaces, too.

Human rights and advocacy organizations are consistent. The Australian Human Rights Commission says bullying is when people repeatedly and intentionally use words or actions against someone to cause distress and risk to well-being, underscoring repetition and harm in its definition of bullying. The Anti-Bullying Alliance calls it “repetitive, intentional hurting” involving an imbalance of power, capturing the three core elements in its definition of bullying. Psychological experts similarly describe bullying as aggressive physical contact, words, or actions intended to cause injury or discomfort; digital abuse using electronic devices is identifiable as cyberbullying in the APA’s topic overview.

Public agencies and researchers converge on similar building blocks. StopBullying.gov defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children with a real or perceived power imbalance, and its quick-reference page distills three elements: unwanted aggression, power imbalance, and repetition or a high likelihood of repetition in its facts about bullying. Social science research captures the same pattern—repeated aggression plus power imbalance—across decades of study, as summarized in a peer‑reviewed review of bullying’s definition and scope in Social and Personality Psychology Compass.

Common Forms and Behaviors

Bullying is a pattern, not just an ugly moment. It shows up through different tactics and channels, many of which overlap at work. Authorities consistently group behaviors into physical, verbal, social/relational, and cyber categories. The categories below reflect that consensus while using plain‑English workplace examples.

Physical Bullying

Physical bullying includes hitting, pushing, tripping, or damaging someone’s belongings. Although many formal definitions were developed for youth settings, the same conduct in a workplace may constitute assault or battery and trigger safety policies, disciplinary action, and potential claims. Authoritative summaries recognize aggression that causes injury or discomfort, extending to physical contact, as noted by the American Psychological Association and general encyclopedic overviews like Wikipedia.

When physical aggression occurs at work, it can cross into workplace violence, which brings separate legal frameworks and employer duties. For more on employer responsibility and employee remedies after assaults or threats, see our guide on workplace violence employer liability.

Verbal Bullying

Verbal bullying covers insults, slurs, threats, and humiliating comments. Health resources emphasize repeated, intentional harm via words and social behaviors, such as the MedlinePlus overview and the Australian Commission’s definition, which both stress distress and well‑being risks. When verbal bullying targets protected traits—race, sex, disability, religion, national origin, and more—it can become unlawful harassment that contributes to a hostile work environment. Learn the legal threshold and examples in our explainer on what is a hostile work environment.

Social/Relational Bullying

This form seeks to isolate, embarrass, or damage reputations—spreading rumors, strategic exclusion, or orchestrated shunning. Advocacy organizations highlight social or relational tactics alongside physical and verbal behaviors. The Anti‑Bullying Alliance and StopBullying.gov both emphasize that the power imbalance may be social (status, numbers, or network influence), not just physical.

In workplaces, relational aggression is often harder to see but still trackable through patterns: repeated exclusion from meetings, removal from group chats, or group pile‑ons in internal messaging tools. When the motive or impact ties to protected characteristics, it may be discriminatory harassment. See our practical guide to workplace harassment legal options.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying leverages electronic devices—texts, emails, DMs, posts, and internal platforms—to threaten, harass, or humiliate. The APA notes cyberbullying uses electronic devices to inflict harm, and MedlinePlus covers cyberbullying alongside traditional forms. Because it leaves digital footprints, cyberbullying is often easier to document and prove than off‑line conduct. For workplace‑specific guidance, see our resource on workplace cyberbullying legal options.

Bullying vs. Harassment and Workplace Violence

“Bullying” isn’t a single, uniform legal claim in U.S. employment law. Instead, bullying overlaps with several legal concepts:

• Harassment/hostile work environment: Repeated conduct (comments, slurs, intimidation) based on a protected characteristic that is severe or pervasive can be unlawful. Learn more in our guide to hostile work environment standards.

• Workplace violence: Threats, assaults, or stalking trigger safety obligations. See workplace violence employer liability for employer duties and employee rights.

• Retaliation: Bullying that follows protected activity (like reporting discrimination or safety hazards) may constitute unlawful retaliation.

• Policy violations: Even when not illegal, bullying often violates employer codes of conduct and respectful workplace policies, warranting investigation and discipline.

Some statutory definitions were developed for schools but are instructive for how public agencies frame bullying’s elements. For example, New York’s education guidance ties bullying and harassment to creating a hostile environment through threats, intimidation, abuse, and cyberbullying in its definitions of bullying, and Virginia’s code stresses unwanted aggressive behavior intended to harm and involving a power imbalance in its definition of “bullying”. Florida’s education rules even reference employees in its bullying definition, underscoring the workplace relevance of these concepts.

Bullying in Workplaces: Risks and Realities

At work, bullying harms mental and physical health, fuels turnover, and increases safety risk. It escalates to legal exposure when it intersects with protected traits, threats, or physical contact, or when employers fail to respond. Even without explicit illegal discrimination, persistent bullying can still cause compensable injury or create OSHA and workers’ compensation concerns.

Employees who experience severe stress, anxiety, or PTSD symptoms from sustained bullying may need medical care, workplace adjustments, or time off. Explore options for accommodations in our mental health workplace accommodation guide, and see how disability and injury frameworks interact in ADA and workers’ compensation. If bullying leads to a physical or psychological injury, learn how a workers’ compensation lawyer can help evaluate and pursue benefits where available.

Unchecked bullying also correlates with larger safety failures. Workers who report unsafe conditions and then face intimidation can raise OSHA retaliation concerns. Organizations that proactively enforce conduct standards, train leaders, and measure psychological safety tend to reduce injury rates and claim costs.

Cyberbullying at Work: Why It Matters

Remote and hybrid work made digital spaces the new shop floor. Bullying now appears in project channels, group chats, video calls, emails, ticketing systems, and social media. Public health and psychology authorities treat cyberbullying as real and harmful—see APA’s coverage of cyberbullying and MedlinePlus—even though much of the formal definition literature arose from school settings. The behaviors map cleanly to adult workplaces and can be easier to prove through logs, screenshots, and audit trails.

Documentation is crucial. Preserve metadata, timestamps, and membership lists for channels. Know your workplace privacy boundaries and recording rules; our primer on recording workplace conversations explains consent laws and safer alternatives for preserving proof. For a deeper dive into digital abuse and employer liability, see workplace cyberbullying legal options.

Power Imbalance and Repetition: Why They Matter

Most authoritative definitions emphasize two features: power imbalance and repetition. The trio “unwanted aggression, power imbalance, repetition” appears in the federal quick facts on bullying. Advocacy organizations, like the Anti‑Bullying Alliance, stress repetition and power differences (status, seniority, social connections, or gatekeeping). Research syntheses also frame bullying as repetitive aggression with a power imbalance, as noted in the Social and Personality Psychology Compass review.

Why it matters: These elements distinguish bullying from general incivility or one-off rudeness and help HR and legal teams classify reports correctly. That classification affects whether conduct violates policy, triggers a safety response, or meets legal tests for harassment or violence. If repetition is not yet documented, focus on showing a high likelihood of repetition—an element recognized by StopBullying.gov.

When Bullying Becomes Unlawful Harassment

Bullying becomes unlawful when it targets protected characteristics or is part of a pattern of discriminatory harassment. For example, repeated sexist remarks, racial slurs, anti‑religious taunts, or mocking a disability can satisfy elements of hostile work environment claims if severe or pervasive. Learn your rights and the proof needed in our guide to workplace discrimination laws and our step‑by‑step overview of legal options for harassment. For sex‑based misconduct and hostile environment standards specific to sexual harassment, see our explainer on sexual harassment in the workplace.

Bullying can also be retaliatory—punishing someone for reporting discrimination, filing a safety complaint, or participating in an investigation. Retaliation is unlawful even when the underlying complaint is ultimately unproven, if the complaint was made in good faith.

Documenting Bullying for HR, Safety, and Legal Protection

Good documentation transforms a painful experience into a credible, actionable record. Consider these steps:

• Write incidents down immediately, noting date, time, location, what was said or done, witnesses, and impact (e.g., missed work, panic attack, ER visit).

• Save digital evidence (emails, chat logs, screenshots, meeting recordings where lawful). See our guide on when recording is legal and safer ways to preserve evidence if it’s not.

• Report internally per policy. If you’re unsure when to escalate, review our short guide on when to report to your designated HR official.

• If threats, assaults, or safety hazards are involved, report immediately and consider filing a safety complaint; learn how retaliation rules apply in our OSHA complaint retaliation guide.

• For hostile environment concerns, follow the steps in our practical walkthrough of how to report a hostile work environment.

If you need time off or medical care due to anxiety, depression, or other conditions triggered by bullying, ask about leaves and accommodations and document any denials or delays. Our mental health accommodation guide explains the process and your rights.

Workers’ Compensation and Bullying-Related Injuries

Can bullying lead to a workers’ compensation claim? It depends on your state, injury, and proof. Physical assaults and acute events causing injury are the clearest fits. Psychological injuries (like PTSD, anxiety, or depression) caused by workplace bullying may qualify in some jurisdictions, especially when tied to a specific incident or a series of documented events. Some states limit coverage for “ordinary workplace stress,” while others recognize mental‑mental claims under specific criteria. The common threads: timely reporting, medical documentation, causation, and consistent evidence.

If you think bullying caused or aggravated a medical condition, speak with a clinician and learn how to report and protect your claim. Our guide on how a workers’ compensation lawyer can help explains filing steps and denials/appeals. Also see how data quality can make or break claims in this trend analysis of workers’ compensation claim data risks, and learn how ADA rights can complement injury recovery in ADA–workers’ comp interactions.

Finally, when workplace bullying includes threats or violence, employers must act to protect workers. Our workplace violence employer obligations guide covers immediate response, prevention plans, and your rights if an employer fails to act.

Policy and Prevention: What Effective Employers Do

Clear definitions and consistent enforcement reduce bullying and claim risk. Effective programs typically include:

• Culture and policy: Define unacceptable conduct (including digital behavior), outline reporting paths, and ensure anti‑retaliation protections. For practical frameworks, see workplace discrimination prevention strategies and legal compliance in workplace policies.

• Training and accountability: Equip managers to de‑escalate, intervene early, and investigate complaints. Establish consistent discipline for substantiated bullying.

• Psychological safety: Encourage bystander reporting and normalize help‑seeking for mental health. Provide access to EAPs and reasonable accommodations.

• Digital hygiene: Set rules for internal platforms and after‑hours conduct that affects work. Audit moderation, logging, and retention practices.

• Inclusion: Strong inclusion programs reduce power abuses and social isolation. See how to embed inclusion into policy design in creating inclusive workplace policies.

Comparative Definitions Across Authorities

Because people ask “define bullying” from many angles—medical, legal, educational, workplace—it helps to see how respected sources align:

• Encyclopedic overview: Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing, or threats to abuse, aggressively dominate, or intimidate others—across physical, verbal, social, and digital forms—per Wikipedia.

• Health framing: Bullying is repeated, intentional harm (physical, social, and/or verbal), per MedlinePlus; cyberbullying is the online version.

• Human rights framing: Repeated, intentional words or actions causing distress and risk to well‑being, per the Australian Human Rights Commission.

• Public health (youth): Unwanted aggressive behavior by another youth or group, not siblings or dating partners, involving power imbalance and likely repetition, per the CDC’s definition. This definition appears widely in community policies and resources, including school and family materials (for example, a community charter school’s policy summarizing the CDC language, as seen on Stone Valley Community CS, and family support resources like Military OneSource).

• Advocacy consensus: The repetitive, intentional hurting with a power imbalance, per the Anti‑Bullying Alliance.

• Psychology: Aggressive physical contact, words, or actions intended to cause injury or discomfort; cyberbullying uses electronic devices, per the APA.

• Research synthesis: Repetitive aggressive behavior with an imbalance of power, with extensive scholarship growth in the last decade, per Social and Personality Psychology Compass.

• Federal quick facts: Unwanted aggression, observed or perceived power imbalance, and repetition or a high likelihood of repetition, per StopBullying.gov facts and the more detailed youth definition at StopBullying.gov.

• State and education codes: “Creation of a hostile environment” through threats, intimidation, or abuse, including cyberbullying, per New York’s definitions of bullying; unwanted aggressive behavior intended to harm or humiliate, with power imbalance and repetition, per Virginia’s definition of bullying; systematic and chronic infliction of physical hurt or psychological distress on students or employees, per Florida’s Department of Education.

• Youth advocacy detail: Repeated negative behavior intended to make others feel upset, uncomfortable, or unsafe, per The Diana Award’s AntiBullyingPro.

Across these sources, the through-lines are unmistakable: intentional harm, power imbalance, and repetition. For workplace application, add your employer’s policy language and the legal overlays for harassment and violence.

Single-Incident Conduct: When It’s More Than Bullying

Many definitions emphasize repetition, but a single severe incident can still be actionable—just under a different label. A single sexual assault or battery is a serious crime and a workplace emergency, not “bullying.” See our plain‑English breakdown of legal distinctions in sexual assault vs. sexual battery. Likewise, a single credible threat or assault at work invokes workplace violence protocols and potential claims. In harassment law, an especially severe episode can contribute to a hostile environment even without long repetition.

Emerging Trends: Remote Work, Social Media, and AI

As work moved online, bullying followed. Important trends include:

• After‑hours and off‑platform conduct: Off‑duty posts or DMs can still impact the workplace. Learn when discipline is lawful and what policies cover in our explainer on whether you can be fired for social media posts.

• Privacy and monitoring: Employers increasingly log chats and monitor devices. Know your workplace privacy rights and how monitoring intersects with investigations of digital abuse.

• Evidence preservation: Ephemeral messaging complicates proof. Establish screenshots, exports, and prompt reports to preserve context.

• Safety and response: When a mental health crisis emerges—either victim or perpetrator—employers have immediate obligations. Review practical steps in employer obligations during a mental health crisis.

Despite new tools, the definition remains steady: intentional harm, power imbalance, and repetition or its strong likelihood. The medium changes; the core conduct does not.

Conclusion

Defining bullying clearly helps everyone. For employees, it validates what you are experiencing and gives you language to report and document it properly. For employers, it clarifies when to deploy safety protocols, investigate promptly, and apply consistent discipline. And in claims, precise definitions help align evidence, medical records, and legal standards—especially when injury, disability, or harassment laws could apply.

Remember the essentials: unwanted aggression, a real or perceived power imbalance, and repetition or the likelihood of repetition. Track conduct across physical, verbal, social, and digital channels. When threats, protected-class harassment, or injuries enter the picture, treat it with urgency and follow the appropriate legal pathways.

If bullying has affected your health, safety, or job security, learning how to report, preserve evidence, and protect your benefits is the next step. The resources linked throughout this article can guide you, and experienced employment counsel can help you evaluate options if your situation crosses into harassment, retaliation, or compensable injury.

Need help now? Get a free and instant case evaluation by US Employment Lawyers. See if your case qualifies within 30-seconds at https://usemploymentlawyers.com.

FAQ

What is the best short definition of bullying?

A clear, practical summary is: bullying is unwanted, intentional aggression that involves a power imbalance and repetition or a high likelihood of repetition. That matches the core elements emphasized by federal resources like StopBullying.gov, public health framing from the CDC (for youth), and advocacy definitions such as the Anti‑Bullying Alliance.

Is workplace bullying illegal by itself?

Not always. “Bullying” by itself is often a policy violation rather than a standalone legal claim. It becomes unlawful when it targets protected characteristics (harassment), involves threats or violence, or constitutes retaliation for protected activity. Learn how workplace law frames hostile environment standards in our overview of hostile work environments and harassment legal options.

Does bullying qualify for workers’ compensation?

It can, depending on your state and the injury. Physical assaults are the clearest cases. Psychological injuries tied to bullying may be compensable if you meet state criteria (causation, severity, medical documentation). Read how a workers’ compensation lawyer helps, how ADA and workers’ comp interact during recovery, and why accurate claim data matters in workers’ comp trends on claim data risk.

What counts as cyberbullying at work?

Harassing or threatening messages, group‑chat pile‑ons, humiliating posts, doxxing, or spreading rumors via email, DMs, or internal platforms. Authorities describe cyberbullying as harmful conduct using electronic devices (APA, MedlinePlus). For practical steps and legal considerations, see workplace cyberbullying legal options and know when and how you may legally preserve evidence.

How do I document and report bullying?

Write detailed incident notes, save digital evidence, identify witnesses, and follow policy reporting paths. For hostile environments, use the steps in how to report a hostile work environment. If safety hazards or threats are present, review protections in our OSHA complaint retaliation guide. If mental health is affected, explore accommodations via our mental health accommodation guide.