ENG215 Research Paper: Differentiating Teasing and Bullying Behavior

This essay delves into the critical distinction between teasing and bullying, exploring their definitions, impacts, and the psychological factors involved. The paper highlights the differences between the two, emphasizing that teasing can be a playful interaction, while bullying is characterized by intimidation and harm. It discusses the negative impacts of bullying, including psychological distress and potential physical harm, and examines the root causes of bullying behavior, often linked to disturbed childhood experiences and emotional imbalances. The essay emphasizes the importance of differentiating between the two behaviors and suggests strategies for promoting positive attitudes and preventing bullying, such as educating children and parents about the differences between teasing and bullying, and fostering a supportive environment. The author suggests that by promoting teasing with positive aspects, the negative impacts of bullying could be reduced.

Running head: 1
When teasing becomes BULLYING

Introduction
Teasing and Bullying are the two words which has been started being used as
synonyms, but in reality, there is a huge and a broad difference between the two. Though it is
quite difficult to differentiate between the two, as there exists just a grey line difference but
the impact of the two actions are widely different from each other. United States along with
several other countries has been the victim of these acts and the generations has been
impacted hugely by it. The trend has been going on which attracted the attention of the
government and strict actions were taken by the government, but the act is still under practice
in the country. It is quite common to tease a friend, or siblings, or any other person but when
that teasing changes to bullying the executor doesn’t realize. Teasing could be defined as “an
action or words which intends to make fun of someone ether playfully or maliciously while
bullying is intimidation of a weaker person.” The definition of the two acts are completely
different which has been mixed up and messed up by the people (Espelage et al. 2015). The
understanding of each of the words is necessary in order to discriminate between the two.
Teasing has a happy ending as the victim takes the words in positive manner and understands
the situation to be funny and enjoyable while bullying has number of negative reactions and
the victim gets impacted psychologically. The impacts of bullying are wide which includes
avoiding social plans, feigning illness, mood fluctuations, less communicative, depressed,
scared, withdrawing from the acts which h loved to perform, etc. These side effects of
bullying have been acknowledged through various experiences and facts which has been
revealing the intensity and the urge for taking some serious actions against it. Bullying has
an intention of hurting the victim intensely wile teasing is an action which could be friendly,
neutral or negative. Thus it could be said that bullying is completely a negative action while
teasing has the intention of being negative depending on the executor Teasing has a positive
as well as neutral parts too which makes it a friendly action and being executed just for fun,
but bullying has no positive aspect in any way as the intention here is to hurt the victim
aggressively be it emotionally or physically (Huang & Cornell, 2019). The maintenance of
the grey line between the two aspects one which is completely negative and the other which
carries positive as well as negative aspects. Teasing needs to be provided with multiple
positive impacts which would help in reducing the act of bullying. The aggressive impacts of
bullying could be reduced through providing the people with the option of teasing and the
limitation of the same.

The Grey Line between Bullying and Teasing
Bullying and Teasing are the two sides of the same coin which carries positivity as
well as negativity which needs to be understood by the people at large. Teasing is a mutual
action while bullying is not mutual. It is quite easy to make the discrimination on papers but
in reality, teasing could change to bullying as easily as one could snap his fingers. The most
accurate and the most relevant discrimination is that the moment the other person gets
uncomfortable with the words of teasing, it has turned into bullying. Teasing in an action
which one executes in order to add humour to the environment or the scenario which helps
other people to enjoy and spend time, but this action should no way make the other person
uncomfortable. Bullying is an act which makes the other person ill both physically and
mentally. When a person experiences bullying, then he is impacted hugely psychologically,
and this impacts his physical illness too. Bullying has caused several severe accidents in
many countries including United States to be on the top of the list. The negative impacts of
bullying include over death results too, along with suicidal incidents (Merrin et al. 2018).
Bullying has been one of the negative actions practiced in United States, and several surveys
has revealed too that one out of four teenagers has been the victim of bullying.
Teasing and Bullying could be checked through multiple solutions and the
discrimination could be made through working at the root cause of bullying. The
psychological impact of bullying has been quite aggressive, and this also conveys that in
order to check on the act of bullying, the psychological factor of the executor needs to be
assessed. Research and surveys have revealed that the teasers and the bullying executors
carry completely different perspectives and mind set. Though there is a minor difference
between the two acts, the mind-set of the two executors are poles apart. Through various
surveys it has been observed that in United States, the teenagers and the youngsters has been
carrying some different and weird mind set which leads to negative and hurting consequences
(Vessey, 2016). The emergence of government to take some legal actions against bullying,
has provided with some anti-bullying acts and laws. The researchers and the investigators
have revealed the fact that the bullying executors has majorly been the ones who has
experienced a disturbed childhood or whose family background has been disturbed in some
way or the other. In order to discriminate between the two actions, one needs to understand
the difference between the two personalities. People who has gone through regressive and
aggressive environment during their childhood or in their family still experiences, carry an
attitude of dominating the people outside their home in order to carry the same personality as

their family members has been carrying. The disturbed family experiences transform the
mind-set of the children and teenagers in such a way that they become intensively aggressive
and they start enjoying giving pain to the other innocent people, who are weaker than them.
The torture and the pain that the children go through at their home, makes most of the
teenagers with a confused state of mind as the actions they are performing are right or wrong
(Lie et al. 2019). They might initiate with teasing but even without realizing they actually
perform bullying, and this indirectly makes them perform the negative impacting act. The
emotional imbalance among children and the teenagers channelize them towards some
negative and unrealized hurtful actions which on execution, hurts the people mentally and
physically.
The difference between the two actions needs to be acknowledged through the base or
the cause of such mind set which has been providing the people with some psychological
impact adding on to the confidence of the people to execute such actions. The exact cause of
bullying has not been found but it has been observed that the people or the youngsters who
gets tortured or faces problems at their home are found to dominate their juniors and hurt
them. The loving and the caring environment at home when do not exist at the home, the
children of these houses get attracted to this act of bullying as dominating and hurting others
or the weak, makes them happy. The ability of discriminating between the right and wrong is
not present in these children and thus, they unknowingly step towards bullying and gradually
grows up and affects the other people too. The imbalance in the emotional perspective of
children tend to join the bullying groups and this add on to their numbers (Espelage et al.
2015). Teasing is one of the actions which could be provided with some beneficial and
positive aspects and thus this would help the people and the teenagers in taking up teasing
other than bullying. The parents need to educate their children in a way which would provide
them a strong mind set and thus, the discriminating factor between the two actions could be
acknowledged well.
Maintenance of the Grey Line and different Aspects
On understanding the various aspects and the ways teasing and bullying has been
impacting the people and the younger generation, the practice of teasing could help in gaining
positive attitude among the teenagers and overshadow the impact of bullying. As is known
teasing is the positive form of bullying which needs to be practiced by some knowledgeable
and sensible person, once the trend of teasing gets popular the act of bullying would

automatically be reduced. Though there is a minor difference between the two but the impact
of the two actions differ widely and hugely. This brings in the need to understand the
importance of teasing. This action needs to be executed through bringing change in the mind
set and the parenting actions of the parents. As bullying and teasing has been observed
majorly among the teenagers and the youngsters, this conveys that the actual action needs to
be taken at this stage. The parents need to prepare their children with a positive attitude and
take up the jokes and the taunting from their friends and anyone in the funniest way
(Espelage, 2016). The children and the younger generation need to develop an aspect which
conveys that teasing helps in making the people laugh and thus, adding smile to other
people’s life would be a prestigious action. The parents and the teachers are required to build
up the confidence of the children and provide them with the knowledge of how they can take
the teasing one step ahead so that the entire scenario could just dissolve as a joke. Family is
the place where each member knows the other completely and thus, this could be utilised well
in providing the youngsters with a positive attitude towards teasing. In family interactions
one could introduce the act of teasing and provide the children with some knowledge and the
difference between teasing and bullying (Merrin et al. 2018). The extent to which teasing
prevails and the moment when bullying comes in could be explained to the children through
practical situations in the family and this would help the children in understanding the two
concepts which appear to be same but differs hugely when it comes to its impact. Even the
school and the college authorities carry a responsibility towards educating the children on
teasing and bullying which could be executed through conducting various seminar sessions,
various acts and other programs which could give the children practical as well as theoretical
knowledge.
Though teasing is a positive aspect of bullying but even it has some drawbacks and
negative impacts. The reason why teasing needs to be promoted more is that the negative
impact of teasing is minor than that of bullying and the impact could be moulded to the
positive aspect if it is channelized accurately and provided with some accurate knowledge.
Many countries have adopted various rules and regulations in order to stop bullying but it has
not been giving productive results and thus this reveals that some different action is required
for controlling the increasing rate of bullying. There are many people who practice bullying
in the name of teasing and the shocking fact is that they don’t even realize that they have
been practicing bullying. The youngsters are incapable of understanding the difference
between the two and thus, the actual issue starts there (Lacey et al. 2018). The younger

generation is required to be provided with some accurate and specific information on teasing
and bullying, which should be practical as well as theoretical. If teasing is provided to the
students and the youngster with positive and broad aspect, then it would help in building up
positive attitude too. Once the students get acknowledged and understand the way teasing
could be handled that would channelize the entire scenario and it would not reach to bullying
situation. Suppose group of friends are teasing one of their friend and he takes it positively
and replies back with positive attitude tis, would make the entire scenario quite soothing and
thus, the group of friends would automatically stop teasing him, but if the other friend reacts
aggressively then the group of friends would start enjoying the situation and the chain
continues. This also reflects that the children and the youngsters need to develop a positive
attitude which would make the situation under control. The aggressive and the inhuman
consequences of bullying could be controlled through providing the people with some
positive actions which would provide the people with same satisfaction. Teasing could act as
one of the measures which would help the people with mental satisfaction of making fun of
others but with positive consequences (Huang & Cornell, 2019). Teasing and bullying carry a
grey line difference which is to be made broad through educating the people on the two
actions and the wide difference they carry in its consequences. The difference between the
two needs to be explored and stated in each country through the schools, colleges, and
parents in a way that the younger generation understands the seriousness of bullying and the
casual output that teasing would give.
Solutions
According to Bucchianeri, Gower, McMorris & Eisenberg (2016), teasing is one of
those experiences which every child experience which can either be a normal teasing or
become bullying when its repetitive. In teasing the child might not face a constant
psychological threat but bullying might affect their psychology leading them to adopt a
defensive behaviour. It is true that bullying can be both verbal as well as physical, but this
can be stopped at an early stage of teasing. Teasing might not always be hurtful, intended or
negative, but it still can lead to bullying if done seriously. Often it is not easier for adults to
judge the behaviour of a child as they are unable to differentiate between a playful teasing
and a behaviour which is threatening. However, it is important for parents to make their
children understand about teasing and bullying and how teasing can be utilised to stop
children from adopting negative behaviour. When teasing is done in a right spirit, it helps

creating a bond or a form of relationship. Teasing can be used as a playful way to show
friendship or be closer to a person of liking. It is easier for children to pick up the actions
performed by adults, but the implications can sometimes lead to serious issues. Teasing is
often done with people whom they are comfortable with and generally tease about things that
are shared between them.
Teasing is also a good way of taking the conversation from one subject to a different
subject. Children often tease each other with funny names or mimic their friends but the child
at the receiving end might not perceive the teasing in a healthy and humorous manner which
then turns into a subtle form of bullying if they start retaliating. Therefore, it is the
responsibility of their parents and teachers to make the child on the receiving end that teasing
is a form of showing affection and can often miss the cues of the intention behind it.
Typically, there are two types of teasing namely influence teasing and endearing teasing. Out
of these two types of teasing, influence teasing as the name suggests influences the behaviour
of a child as the teasing can be direct and intentional. In case of endearment teasing, the child
might be involved in a friendly banter which is harmless and maintains the bond between
friends. Since influence testing can be deceiving for the person being teased, the best way to
make children comfortable with friendly banters is to make them laugh on their teasers. This
allows the children on both sides to take the teasing as a friendly talk. However, many
children might get affected even with endearment teasing, and therefore should not be
bothered much and an apology must be given to them. The purpose of teasing must not be
being mean and annoying to anyone and everyone because that might be uncomfortable and
unaffectionate. The important thing that matters is making people learn to take a joke and not
being sensitive to any teasing that could have been taken as a joke. The person being teased
will be tempted to blame the person who teased them, but shifting the blame makes a
situation more uncomfortable and can damage a healthy friendship. As mentioned earlier,
children pick the behaviour of their parents, teachers and seniors at school. This requires
parents, teachers and any other elder to respect the feelings of others and address hurt feelings
by taking responsibility and apologizing to them. This not only ensures their good behaviour
but also ensures no possible signs of bullying. Compared to children, adolescent kids must
understand when teasing crosses, the line. This becomes the responsibility of teachers and the
children themselves do not allow bullying at all. This allows them to become straight forward
and direct about establishing boundaries to reduce the bullying the experience.

The education with regards to teasing and bullying should start from home and then in
schools and colleges to keep their self-confidence high. Also, with the growth of the use of
social media among people has led to cyber bullying in many cases. Parents and schools need
to ensure they have necessary rules and regulations for children harassing, intimidating and
bullying others on social media. Schools must state rules in positive terms which will set an
example for rule following behaviour. When teasing crosses a line, the rules must be enforced
as per the age. Parents and teacher can often reward positive and good behaviour to reduce
bullying behaviours among children. A clear communication and empathic listening allow
both elders and children to feel more open about their problems which includes teasing and
bullying. Since being non-judgemental helps to understand the situations, parents and
teachers must listen to both the bully and the victim about their motive of falling into such a
situation.
Conclusion
The following essay deals with the impact of teasing and bullying on the daily life of
children. Sometimes words can cause pain and break children psychologically and
unknowingly make them victims of it. Teasing can easily convert into bullying, psychological
bullying or physical bullying and this can be prevented by taking appropriate measures my
parents and school authorities. Bullying is prevalent throughout the world and cuts across
cultural lines, racial or ethnic boundaries. Students between the age of 6 to 15 are involved in
incidents of teasing and bullying making them either victims or perpetrators. The impact of
bullying and even friendly teasing in many cases can lead to physical and emotional draining.
Their self-esteem and social skills remain poor which makes it hard for them to retaliate or
fight for themselves. It is important for parents and teachers to understand the signs of stress
in children if they are being bullied. Adults need to intervene and allow children to verbalize
their feelings so that the root cause can be identified. Bullies must understand that not all
children are same, and they might show their disapproval towards any sort of bullying or
teasing. Children must be vocal about their responses to the teasing and if the problem
persists, the student must be given a space to talk. However, it should be noted that not many
people understand that a simple teasing can lead to bullying which links suicidal thoughts. A
majority of students consider committing suicide than to remain the victims of bullying and
ask for help. The fear of bullying must not be instilled among children and this is the reason
teasing can be utilised as a good measure at homes and schools to let children understand the

subtle difference between teasing and bullying. There are many kids out there, being
harassed, teased and bullied but not in an appropriate manner. People must understand and
spread awareness of this issue more to not allow damage each person's life.

References
Espelage, D. L., Basile, K. C., De La Rue, L., & Hamburger, M. E. (2015). Longitudinal
associations among bullying, homophobic teasing, and sexual violence perpetration among
middle school students. Journal of interpersonal violence, 30(14), 2541-2561
Huang, F. L., & Cornell, D. G. (2019). School teasing and bullying after the presidential
election. Educational Researcher, 48(2), 69-83.
Merrin, G. J., De La Haye, K., Espelage, D. L., Ewing, B., Tucker, J. S., Hoover, M., &
Green, H. D. (2018). The co-evolution of bullying perpetration, homophobic teasing, and a
school friendship network. Journal of youth and adolescence, 47(3), 601-618.
Vessey, J. A. (2016). Bullying from the Schoolyard to the Workplace: Lessons Learned.
Lie, S. Ø., Rø, Ø., & Bang, L. (2019). Is bullying and teasing associated with eating
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disorders, 52(5), 497-514.
Espelage, D. L., Basile, K. C., De La Rue, L., & Hamburger, M. E. (2015). Longitudinal
associations among bullying, homophobic teasing, and sexual violence perpetration among
middle school students. Journal of interpersonal violence, 30(14), 2541-2561.
Huang, F. L., & Cornell, D. G. (2019). School teasing and bullying after the presidential
election. Educational Researcher, 48(2), 69-83.
Merrin, G. J., De La Haye, K., Espelage, D. L., Ewing, B., Tucker, J. S., Hoover, M., &
Green, H. D. (2018). The co-evolution of bullying perpetration, homophobic teasing, and a
school friendship network. Journal of youth and adolescence, 47(3), 601-618.
Vessey, J. A. (2016). Bullying From the Schoolyard to the Workplace: Lessons Learned.
Lie, S. Ø., Rø, Ø., & Bang, L. (2019). Is bullying and teasing associated with eating
disorders? A systematic review and meta‐analysis. International journal of eating
disorders, 52(5), 497-514.
Espelage, D. L., Low, S., Van Ryzin, M. J., & Polanin, J. R. (2015). Clinical trial of second
step middle school program: Impact on bullying, cyberbullying, homophobic teasing, and
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