SPEAKER OUT

Where do you draw the line between teasing and bullying?

Lucinda Patrus, Santa Fe Prep

“I think bullying is when a person takes it to heart and is affected by it in a way that hurts a person’s feelings. Teasing is meant to be used as a joke about something that someone said. Bullying is where [one] takes things and uses them to hurt people’s feelings.”

Tyler BiddleAxelrod, Santa Fe Prep

“Teasing is more of a playful context than bullying. Bullying is intentionally trying to be mean.”

Josh Wertheim, Santa Fe Prep

“I think the line should be drawn when you think about what someone said when they were teasing you after it happened.”

Alex Benitez, Mandela International Magnet School

“Teasing is when you’re just messing with someone and it’s small, but bullying is when it gets bigger and worse. … Bullying can lead to suicide, while teasing is playing around with someone.” Sheyenne Hoskisson, Mandela International Magnet School “Teasing is something meant as a joke. It’s fun. It’s something that if the person doesn’t like it, the one teasing will stop. Teasing is a joke. Bullying is something meant to cause harm. …”

Shelby P., Mandela International Magnet School

“The line between teasing and bullying is dependent on a few variables. These are friendship and content. It’s teasing if your friend is making a little joke or jab that doesn’t make you uncomfortable, no one’s feelings are hurt and it might get a laugh. However, if it’s someone you don’t know very well or someone is deliberately trying to hurt your feelings, it is most likely bullying.”