Definition Wheel
There is no single definition of bullying that everyone agrees on. Spin, search and compare 30 definitions from different times and voices, and explore where they agree, disagree or leave questions open.
The fixed pointer at 12 o'clock flexes over segment boundaries and acts as the wheel's stopping point. No definition is selected on arrival.
No definition selected
Spin the Wheel, drag it, use Previous or Next, or search for a definition. When the pointer settles on a segment, the full record appears here.
The historical collection includes definitions assembled through Andy Hickson's PhD and contemporary UK definitions, with source details shown for each record.
Compare definitions
Wheel view
The same 30 records power all three views. The Wheel is the playful route; Timeline and List provide non-drag alternatives and make the material easier to scan.
Timeline
List
An index of all 30 records. Open an entry to read the full definition in the Wheel panel.
Why do definitions disagree?
Definitions can change what people notice, record and respond to. Some require repetition; some do not. Some emphasise intention, while others focus more strongly on impact. Power is central to some and much less explicit in others.
The Wheel does not decide which definition is right. It lets you see the disagreement.
Repeated how?
Does the same person have to do the same thing several times? Could different people each do something once while the person receiving it experiences the harm again and again? Can a shared image or rumour create repetition?
Repeated how?
Try it yourself
Spin once. Read what appears. Ask what stands out, what is included, what might be missing and whether you agree. Spin again and compare. If you want, try writing your own definition in 30 words or fewer.
Use it with a class or group
- Spin, read, discuss. Explore what one definition emphasises and leaves out.
- Definition versus definition. Pin one, spin another and compare where they agree and differ.
The aim does not have to be agreement. The interesting part may be discovering why agreement is so difficult.
About this collection
The historical collection and comparative coding behind this Definition Wheel were initially assembled through Andy Hickson's PhD, Can young people develop and deliver effective creative anti-bullying strategies?, University of Exeter, 2010. That research has been revisited and expanded for AntiBullyingWeek.co.uk with contemporary UK definitions.
The PhD's 25-definition appendix and coding table provided the starting historical collection. Each Wheel record has since been checked against its original or authoritative source where available. The Wheel also includes Terry and Michelle's 2007 working definition from the research and contemporary UK definitions.