Did You Know these Five Facts about Bullying in History?

 These must-know bullying facts about bullying in history are a great way to help prevent the mistakes of the past and learn better ways to stop bullying in the future

When you are trying to understand how bullying works, these Bullying Facts About Bullying In History are important to consider.  Bullying is not something new.  It has been around for centuries in various ways.  While there are many reasons we can already have to hate bullying, here are some well known things in history that can back up your claims that bullying is no laughing matter.

Related: Ten Bullying Facts Every Parent Should Know

Bullying Facts About Bullying In History

  • Bullying is known to have existed as far back as the mid 1500’s, but wasn’t mentioned in detail for a few more centuries. There have been texts found that date back as early as the 1530’s that claim individuals were being verbally and physically abused by their peers, which would be considered bullying by today’s standards.
  • 1862 the term was made well known by a newspaper publication covering a soldiers death due to abuse and bullying by other men in the military.
  • In 1970 Don Olweus was the first research professor in psychology known to study bullying and its effects on students.  This research gave insight into how minor bullying could come back and cause issues many years down the road.  His research gave a significant increase in understanding and acceptance of the term bullying in society.
  • 1998 the Starr Report was released indicating an extramarital affair between President Bill Clinton and his White House intern Monica Lewinsky.  While she admits to being at fault in this situation, this date is significant for the beginning of what may be one of the first known cyber bullying case.  From that point forward, Ms. Lewinsky was unable to live a normal life without pictures, quotes and recordings of her doing even basic things like grocery shopping being posted on the Internet.
  • 2006 Matthew Shephard was the first highly publicised homosexual killed or his sexual orientation.  His brutal death was a turning point in the LGBT community and their fight against hatred.  The term hate crime became part of our vocabulary at this point, and has been used consistently since in reference to bullying in the LGBT community.

Related: Cyber Bullying Facts

These bullying facts about bullying in history are there to prove that it is not something that has just become an issue in the last few years.  Bullying has existed amongst children and adults for hundreds of years.  It is not something to overlook, scoff at or pretend is a problem “in their head”.  Bullies exist.  Children are abused by bullies.  Adults are abused by bullies.  It is time to fight back with our words and efforts to stop this crime.

Do you know of any facts about bullying in history that we missed? Share in the comments!

25 thoughts on “Did You Know these Five Facts about Bullying in History?”

  1. Bullying has been around for significantly longer than that. If we are sticking to the definition, Bully:seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable), it has been around since the dawn of time. We had a solution back in the day, it was a very effective method called TryActin. As in Try Actin like a man, and toughen up. It’s used nowadays as a crutch to push political and social ideology in a victim-oriented perspective. But the bottom line is, you can’t control other people. You can only control yourself. Even if you try to control every single aspect and make thousands of rules and laws and consequences, bullying will still happen, as we’ve seen time and time again. The best defense, is to toughen up, because you can’t control the things you can’t control. Its much more effective to work on your own mental strength, than to expect, and ultimately hope, that everyone else will stop bullying.

  2. i was bullied in high school and it was horrible. I have taught my kids that I have no tolerance for it at all. i hope they never treat someone like that.

  3. I was bullied as a child in the 90’s, but honestly it made me a stronger person. I think it depends on the extent of the bullying, but I know for sure that I would not be as strong of a person now if I had not faced bullying as a child.

  4. Bullying sucks. It’s surprising to hear it goes back so far but I’m not surprised. I wish everyone would just accept everyone. Life would be so much better that way!

  5. Bullying is just finally getting a name and some backing behind it. It has always been bad and even worse back in the days when bullying was politically correct! We are making great strides by identifying things like bullying and finding solutions!

  6. No, I had no idea about any of these. I had no clue how long bullying has been going on. Thanks for the info.

  7. I feel like cyber bullying gets so much harsher than any other form because it cuts people down often times without blame. It’s terrible. Bullying and teasing are very different… and I hope there are firmer standards put on internet policing in terms of bullying and threats in the future!

  8. Amy Desrosiers

    I was bullied when I was a kid, and I believe my parents were too! I think since the existence of humanity people have been picked on. These facts prove that!.

  9. I didn’t know most of these. I’m not surprised bullying has been documented back that far. I’m sure bullying has been around as long as people have.

  10. It’s always been around. It was only recently that people are paying great attention to it and finally, doing something about it.

  11. Wow, I didn’t realize research on bullying started so many years ago. It seems like it’s just coming to the point where people collectively care (enough to do something), and that’s a great thing.

  12. Bullying is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. It doesn’t happen to kids or students alone but it also happens even to grown-ups, even in offices. And, something has to be done about it.

  13. There is a great difference between teasing, and bullying. http://waitsover.com/is-it-bullying/
    Bullying has certianly changed since we were kids. I was bullies, terribly, but I was able to go home and get away. Cyberbullying removes safe haven from kids lives- unless you remove them from cyber life. and let’s face it, it’s a internet world nowadays. I nearly lost my child to suicide due to bullying- its horrific.

  14. Bullying has been around since the beginning of time probably–even animals bully one another occasionally. Not as much as humans do. You would think after all this time it could be eradicated for good.

  15. Wow, what a thought provoking post. As a teacher, I must admit that I see a firm distinction between teasing and bullying; it seems like cyber bullying has been most powerful during my teaching career.

  16. Robin (Masshole Mommy)

    Bullying has always been around. Just when I was a kid, it was called being teased.

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