To be able to develop a clear picture of what bullying is, the broad range of behaviors in the conceptualization of bullying must be explained in detail (Elinoff, Chafouleas, & Sassu, 2004). Schinnerer (2009) stated that a clear definition of bullying is somewhat elusive and for this reason makes it hard to quantify or measure.
Because of this misrepresentation, the details of bullying from the victims could be misunderstood as something other than bullying in research and allowing for underrepresentation of victims. Over this time, changes to the definitions used have evolved but in such a manner that they have the potential to misrepresent the complete view of bullying. Bullying has been discussed in its present form since the late 1970s. The increased prevalence of bullying has been well documented. The central issue is the validity of data and research related to bullying using such definitions. These definitions can be considered incomplete and potentially ineffective. Researchers have attempted to not only conceptualize what bullying is, but to also create a definition that can be used in research studies. The study of bullying has become an important aspect of discussion in not only athletics but across multiple areas. The effects of bullying have been studied extensively in recent years. Keywords: coaching, education, athletics, organization, comprehensive, review The development of a complete definition of bullying was created using the coded indicators to assist in future research studies, data collection, coaching education, and the development of rules and regulations in athletic organizations as well as those organizations outside of athletics. Results show that there was no definition that included all ten coded indicators of bullying, which indicated there is no existing definition that fully identifies the action of bullying. Methods used to identify these definitions included data base searches using key terms and criterion based in the subject area of education, medical, psychology, and sociology. The purpose of this literature review was to potentially find an existing definition that encompasses all aspects of bullying and if one was not identified, to create a comprehensive definition of bullying by using seminal definitions selected based on specific criterion. The lack of a generally identified definition has limited not only the ability to compare research studies but the ability of organizations to promote rules and regulations consistently. Research has been conducted regarding bullying in multiple fields of study for many years. Longwood, Florida Bachand is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Central Florida and an athletic coaching educator/lecturer.īullying in Sports: The Definition Depends on Who You Ask