Teasing v. Bullying "Is my child being bullied?" "Is my child a bully?" "What can I do to help? "What can my child do to help?" "How can I help my child?" "Who can help my child?" The questions are 1 , whether a child is experiencing bullying behavior or is the bully. Bullying has received a lot of 2 in the news. In the wake of suicides where bullying is blamed as the cause, parents say they 3 if their child may be the next. Many parents wonder how they can help their child. "The answers to these questions are, in most cases, 4 says Jennifer Wickham, licensed professional counselor at Mayo Clinic Health System. " 5 , biological and environmental factors need to be considered to find the best solution. It’s important to not over- or under-recognize bullying behavior. To avoid either of these extremes of 6 , we must understand the difference between teasing and bullying. So what’s the difference? Teasing and bullying are socially 7 behaviors. However, according to Nancy Darling, Ph.D., in her article, "Thinking About Kids," from Psychology Today: "Teasing is an ambiguous social exchange that can be friendly, 8 or negative, and how this interchange proceeds really 9 how the person being teased reacts." Teasing never involves intentional physical harm or intimidation. 10 , it is done for the sake of fun. "Occasionally, in younger children who are still learning how to 11 their emotions and respond to social interactions, teasing can go too far and result in physical behavior," says Wickham. "This isn’t bullying; nor is it a 12 that bullying will follow. 13 teasing is not socially acceptable, it’s a developmental experience for children, providing opportunity for growth and development of social-emotional skills." Bullying, 14 , involves an imbalance of power between the individual 15 the bullying behavior and the individual experiencing bullying behavior. As stopbullying.gov defines it, bullying behavior is harmful, purposeful and repeated.