As the saying goes: children are children. And yes, children and young people can be unkind to their peers and feelings can be hurt. It becomes problematic when this behavior becomes habitual and repeatedly directed at the same person. This is where kids being kids cross the line into bullying. And while bullying is a very horrible thing that everyone must endure, it's important to look at the actual behavior and determine if it's really bullying or if it's kids being rude or mean.

Bullying is a term that has become more and more popular in recent years, even though the actual act of bullying has been around for a very long time. Although studies have shown that the number of bullying incidents has actually decreased, the topic has been on everyone's lips and increasingly in the media in recent years. This is largely due to the fact that more and more children and young people are self-injuring in response to their experiences.

According to Stopbullying.gov, "The behavior must be aggressive and involve an imbalance of power" while being repetitive in nature. When children use their power to bully someone, it "could include physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity." If this behavior occurs more than once or twice, it is considered bullying and should be addressed as such.

There are different types of bullying: verbal, social, physical and cyberbullying. While physical bullying is common, verbal and social bullying are the most common. These types usually take place during school hours or at school events. Cyberbullying is on the rise due to the increasing use of technology by children and young people. While children can go home and escape the other types of bullying, cyberbullying extends well beyond the schoolyard.

Bullying is a very emotional subject, so it's important to take all allegations seriously and never downplay someone's experience. However, it is important to determine if the behavior is bullying or if a child was simply being rude or mean. An example: A child says to another child "You are so stupid" and it happens once, maybe twice. By definition, this is not considered bullying, but yes, it is mean and can emotionally hurt the child who hears it.

Trudy Ludwig, author of "My Secret Bully," describes the difference between a child who is rude or mean and one who exhibits bullying behavior in easy-to-understand definitions. A child is rude when they accidentally say or do something that hurts another person. Mean is when a child says or does something on purpose to hurt someone once (maybe twice). Bullying involves intentionally aggressive behavior that is repeated over a period of time and involves an imbalance of power. Being familiar with these terms will help address harmful behavior and provide appropriate interventions.

Bullying can happen anywhere and to anyone. It's important to know the warning signs a child can show when they're being bullied. It is also important to know that children and young people do not always ask for help. According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, less than half of incidents of bullying go unreported because children and teens feel they can handle it, don't want more trouble from the bully, or feel embarrassed or embarrassed rejected.

It is important that anyone working with children is made aware of the warning signs of bullying behavior while having an objective look at actual behavior to determine appropriate consequences. Educating parents and the community about the differences between rude or mean behavior by children and actual bullying is important in order to address the behavior in the most effective way.