Abjection
Abjection is the process of separating an individual from the group through expressions of disgust and
loathing.
Agency
Agency is the individual's sense of control they have over what happens to them and their life, and their
ability to make choices.
Aggression
Aggression is words or actions (both overt and covert) that are directed towards another and intended to
harm, distress, coerce or cause fear.
Anti-social behaviours
Anti-social behaviours include getting into fights, bullying, physical assault, truanting, stealing,
vandalism, persistently lying, using illegal drugs and misusing alcohol.
Approach
Approach is the generic term used throughout this site to include frameworks, strategies, resources and
programs.
Climate (school)
School climate is the milieu created by interactions among and between adults and students, as well as
individuals' beliefs and attitudes about the school and about students.
Conflict
Conflict is a mutual disagreement, argument or dispute between people where no-one has a significant power
advantage and both feel equally aggrieved.
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is a way to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement. When conflict arises, often the
best course of action is negotiation to resolve the disagreement.
Contempt production
Contempt production is the process of expressing extreme dislike or disgust toward a student and their
behaviour. It often increases the exclusion of that student.
Covert bullying
Covert bullying is a type of subtle social or verbal bullying, hidden from those not directly involved. It
harms another's social reputation, relationships and self-esteem.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is an alternative label for online bullying, and describes bullying carried out through the
internet and mobile devices.
Cybersafety
Cybersafety refers to both a) online behaviours that are safe, respectful and responsible, as well as b)
strategies to reduce risks online, e.g. using high privacy settings.
Dignity production
Dignity production is the process of expressing positive regard for a student or students which results in
greater inclusion and positive emotions.
Discrimination
Discrimination is the outcome of less favourable treatment because of identity, race, culture, ethnicity,
religion, physical characteristics, gender or sexual orientation.
Diversity
Diversity is the concept that each individual is unique and has individual differences. These differences can
be related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities,
religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to identify and share the feeling of another.
Empirical research
Empirical research is experimentation or direct observation that produces evidence.
Evaluation
Evaluation is a structured, staged process of identifying, collecting and considering information to
determine whether a program or approach is effective.
Evidence
Evidence is the available body of facts and information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or
valid.
Evidence-informed
Evidence-informed (for schools) means that an approach is based on previous, relevant research, without
specific research into that approach in a school setting.
Evidence-based
Evidence-based (for schools) means that an approach has been found to be effective through research in a
number of school settings.
Fidelity of implementation
Fidelity of implementation (sometimes called program fidelity) is how closely a school adheres to the way an
approach was designed to be implemented. It refers to all aspects of the approach including content, number
and frequency of sessions, the delivery and the participants.
Framework
Frameworks are structured guides for planning, implementing activities and monitoring
change. Frameworks do not provide the actual content or activities (strategies, resources or programs) but
combine overall structural integrity with local flexibility.
Harassment
Harassment is behaviour that targets an individual or group due to their identity; race; culture or ethnic
origin; religion; physical characteristics; gender; sexual orientation;
Harm
Harm is physical or psychological damage or injury; something that causes someone or something to be hurt,
broken, made less valuable, reputable or successful, etc.
Homophobic bullying
Homophobic bullying includes repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviours directed at students because
they identify as or are perceived to be homosexual.
LGBTIQA+
LGBTIQA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans/transgender, Intersex, Queer/questioning, and Asexual “ and
is one of many acronyms that represent common sexual and gender identities in the community. The + symbol is
used to show that there are many more ways to identify as gender and/or sexually diverse. There are many
variations of this acronym.
Method of shared concern
The method of shared concern is a response to bullying involving structured interviews of those who are
suspected of bullying other students to resolve the situation.
Moral disengagement
Moral disengagement is a set of social and cognitive processes through which people can disengage from
actions which are inhumane or hurtful toward other people.
Moral distress
Moral distress is the painful feeling or discomfort that occurs when a person is aware of the appropriate
action but cannot carry out that action because of situational factors.
Personal resources
Personal resources are the attitudes and skills that a person has to use in difficult situations, including
bullying. Personal resources include positive self-belief, perception of value, confidence about ability to
deal with problems and strategies to minimise harm and recover.
Positive approaches
Positive approaches are those that stress prevention and support and that focus more on enabling positive
student behaviour than on punishment for student misbehaviour.
Positive Behaviour for Learning
Postive Behaviour for Learning (PBL), previously known as school-wide positive behaviour support (SWPBS) is a
whole school approach to creating safe and supportive environments.
Positive behaviour support
Positive behaviour support (PBS) is an approach focused on learning environments; teaching pro-social skills;
and providing positive consequences for pro-social behaviour.
Power imbalance
Power imbalance is a situation where one person or group has a significant advantage over another that
enables them to coerce or mistreat another for their own ends.
Prejudice
Prejudice is an opinion or feeling of dislike directed at an individual or a group because of some
characteristic (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities,
religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies).
Program
A program is a plan of action or schedule of activities to be followed in order to accomplish a specified
goal. A program manual or instructions will detail what work is to be done, by whom, when, and what
strategies or resources will be used.
Pro-social values
Pro-social values are those which emphasise others, including: respect, acceptance of diversity, honesty,
fairness, friendliness, inclusion, cooperation and responsibility.
Protective interrupting
Protective interrupting is a process of stopping a person speaking by interrupting them, used to protect the
person from the consequences of revealing inappropriate personal information in front of others.
Psychological bullying
Psychological bullying is an out of date term which originally referred to non-physical and usually covert
behaviours in bullying aimed at creating fear. It is more appropriate to talk about psychological harm than
psychological bullying.
Punitive approach
A punitive approach is the use of negative consequences such as detention, suspension and expulsion for
aggressive, violent or bullying behaviour.
Relational bullying
Relational bullying, also called social bullying, is repeatedly ostracising others or convincing peers to
reject another person, as well as sharing rumours or private information.
Resilience
Resilience is the ability to return to (almost) the same level of wellbeing and to continue to thrive despite
encountering negative events, difficult situations, challenges or adversity.
Respectful relationships
Respectful relationships is a strategy for preventing partner and family violence through educating people to
behave in positive and respectful ways in intimate relationships.
Restorative practices
Restorative practices is a range of strategies which focus on restoring relationships, repairing harm and
learning perspective-taking and social responsibility.
School climate
School climate is the milieu created by interactions among and between adults and students, as well as
individuals' beliefs and attitudes about the school and about students.
School community
The school community is the students, school staff (teachers, administrators, other staff and volunteers),
parents and carers, and others with an interest in the school.
School connectedness
School connectedness is the belief by students that adults in the school care about their learning as well as
about them as individuals.
School culture
School culture is the set of basic assumptions, beliefs and practices that are shared by the members of a
school community which mold how members view the school.
Social-emotional learning
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an approach where students learn skills such as: cooperation, managing
conflict, making friends, coping and being resilient, recognising and managing their own feelings and being
empathic.
Social exclusion anxiety
Social exclusion anxiety is the feeling of anxiety associated with the need to belong to a group, experienced
when there is a perceived threat to that person's membership.
Student voice
Student voice is the encouragement of young people's active participation in shared decision making and
consequent actions.
Student wellbeing
Student wellbeing is a student's level of satisfaction with the quality of their life at school. Optimal
wellbeing is characterised by positive feelings and attitudes, positive relationships with other students
and teachers, resilience, and satisfaction with self and learning experiences at school.
Support group approach
The support group approach is an approach involving establishing a support group with the student being
bullied. The support group consists of other students involved in the bullying (but who are not confronted
or blamed) as well as students who tend to be kind and empathic.
School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support
School-wide positive behaviour support (SWPBS) is now called Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL). PBL is a
whole school approach to creating safe and supportive environments.
System
System (as used on this site) is the complex sets of individuals, groups, structures and organisations.
Systems involve interdependent sets of cultural and structural elements thought of as a whole.
Traditional bullying
Traditional bullying is a term with various meanings. It was originally used to describe direct, physical
bullying, to connect it particularly with social bullying. More recently, it has been used to emphasise the
difference between bullying in person and online. There is no clear meaning for this term and it is not
recommended for use.
Tolerance
Tolerance is the willingness to accept the existence of opinions, behaviour and practices that conflict or
differ from one's own.