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What's the difference between bullying and teasing?

272 Answers
Last Updated: 06/11/2022 at 2:26pm
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United States
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Top Rated Answers
coffeelover97
May 24th, 2018 2:55am
There is a fine line between what the difference between bullying and teasing is. Teasing is usually done out of the harmless sense to poke fun but that’s when it turns into bullying due to how it affected that one person. I believe teasing can turn into bullying without us being consciously aware of it all the time. The fine line is so blurred and we just have to be so careful to what we say to one another.
Anonymous
May 30th, 2018 12:53am
bullying will be bringing intentional emotional pain. teasing is something that should be between friends- unintentional. be clear on how it makes you feel and if it ensues, attempt to steer clear of them
tranquilSnowflake15
June 9th, 2018 8:30pm
There is not much of a difference between the two. Bullying can involve physical violence where teasing does not. Most people that tease claim to be joking.
happytotalktoyouj
June 15th, 2018 5:12pm
Teasing in consensual while bullying is not. The teaser would stop if asked but the bully would not.
calmingNight81
June 15th, 2018 11:36pm
The line between bullying and teasing is usually the topic. Teasing is usually focused on something that you are proud of or have a strong self esteem toward. It could also be something that is focused on something that is clearly untrue. Bullying is usually the opposite and is focused on things you are sensitive or embarrassed about. For example calling your skinny friend fat for eating a donut is teasing, doing the same to an overweight peer is probably bullying.
Anonymous
June 20th, 2018 7:03am
Bullying means to hurt verbally and physically someone else. That person would feel bad, be scared of you and even cry. Teasing on the other hand, means that you „annoy“ that person but not in such a way as bullying. You both laugh and know that it is not meant in a bad way.
politePillow12
June 23rd, 2018 12:03pm
Teasing is basically between friends and is done to a limit where others are in no mental harm whereas bullying is irritating others against their will and it oftens end up hurting the person mentally and physically.
Anonymous
June 27th, 2018 12:57am
The main difference between bullying and teasing is that bullying is regular and displays an imbalance of power, while teasing is less regular and is usually between two equals. Also, some friends may tease you, but a true friend will never bully you. I hope that this information helps!
AngelicPenguin
July 1st, 2018 2:00pm
Teasing is more like a type of joking around you do with your friends and not meant in a malicous way most of the time. For example, it wouldn't offend you so much in some scenarious whereas bullying is a serious matter and should be told to a trusted adult immediatly. You will feel uncomfortable if your being 'bullied' and if your feel ok with it you wont sense any discomfort from the words said to you or actions
Anonymous
July 5th, 2018 12:15am
Bullying is when someone makes fun of you and it can go far line to beating someone up. Teasing is when someone makes fun of you but in kind of friendly way and it doesn’t go that far like the bullying.
Anonymous
July 5th, 2018 8:34pm
Teasing is a once in a while, lighthearted, poking fun at someone in a friendly manner. Bullying is more serious. Bullying is an everyday or almost everyday very mean action that is not friendly.
Bettis36
July 6th, 2018 6:25am
Teasing is often done with friends. Teasing is good natured and often positive interaction with people. Teasing on a specific thing is usually an isolated incident. Teasing is playful and often followed by mutual laughter with the teaser and the teased. Bullying is meant to hurt people. Bullying is repeated regardless of the feelings of the bullied. Bullies attempt to assert dominance over the bullied.
neverendingApple26
July 12th, 2018 2:39pm
Bullying is when someone feels hurt by what you say. Teasing is meaningless jokes with someone that they know isn’t true
Anonymous
July 18th, 2018 4:22am
Part of the difference is one’s intended response. Bullying is meant to be provocative, while teasing is often playful. In addition, it depends on your view. Sometimes someone thinks they’re just teasing, but they’ve seriously hurt someone’s feelings. It’s good to try and make sure that if someone said something mean, that they know that they went too far. If they don’t care, they’re bullying you. If they care and want to make sure they aren’t going too far, they’re most likely just teasing you.
Chocolatdreamer
July 18th, 2018 9:02pm
The difference between them is huge. Bullying is when the person is intentionally hurting you, that doesn't want u happy and doesn't want u to be good at anything. While teasing is a way of showing that they care about you to the point where they accually notice those little things about you, that they will never hurt you intentionally, and that they will want u to become better than your current status.
MattInWonderland
July 19th, 2018 5:16pm
When it comes to these kinds of questions, theres always a blurred line. However, I think people would agree with me that if someone is treating you in a way which you don't want them to, and does not stop when you sincerely ask them too, then they are at least being unkind and that is not fair. The same applies for how we would treat others, of course. Hope this helps!
Anonymous
July 21st, 2018 10:04pm
Teasing is like joking it shouldn't be really mean and should be taken a little lightly. Bullying is being more aggressive and rude purposely.
Anonymous
July 24th, 2018 12:51am
Teasing is something that happens occasionally, just because people are mean. Bullying is a repetitive thing where it is because someone is just trying to be mean.
Allears247
July 25th, 2018 11:29am
Teasing is playful humor whereas bullying is the complete disregard for someones want for the verbal, physical, and mental abuse to stop.
IveSurvivedAndSoCanYou
July 27th, 2018 8:36am
Teasing can be saying something about someone but they also find it funny, bullying is where people continually make fun of a person and make them feel unsafe, hurt, sad, scared ect.
PhotographyNerd101
August 1st, 2018 4:29am
Teasing is something friends do to each other. Bullying is when the teasing is repetitive, and causes the person to be mentally or physically hurt.
dancingWind25
August 2nd, 2018 3:19am
The difference is when it really gets under your skin, and the person meant to hurt you. If they were really teasing you. They would stop when you ask them to
Anonymous
August 2nd, 2018 1:02pm
From my experiences, there is a major difference between bullying and teasing. Teasing often comes from those you trust and are close to you such as your friends in a joking manner that makes you laugh. Whereas bullying is often meant to hurt you.
LenaThorel
August 3rd, 2018 2:24pm
I’d say there is a fine line between bullying and teasing where it can be tricky to decide what actions or words would go where. I feel like it’s probably not bullying (at least on purpose) if the person doing the action doesn’t actually mean any harm. If you told them that what you were saying was actually upsetting you and they refused to stop or if you find them laughing at you rather than with you, it’s probably bullying or at least the actions of a person who doesn’t understand when to stop.
Anonymous
August 10th, 2018 5:46am
Teasing is usually mutual, both parties agree that it is just a joke and they are both alright with the things that are being said. It becomes bullying when one of the parties has gone too far and hurt the others feelings, and the other person expresses this, and the "teasing" doesnt stop but continues to happen.
caringEnergy22
August 11th, 2018 5:25pm
I find the best explanation to be: teasing is only possible when the relationship is equivalent. When that is not the case, it's bullying. Thus: when the teaser can tease the person who was teasing first, it's teasing. When the teaser can't (does not feel comfortable or will get bullied more etc.), it's bullying.
BearSinclair
October 27th, 2018 10:18pm
In my own opinion, teasing is meant as a true joke. Teasing isn't mean, per-say and no harm is meant. It's like two friends bantering back and forth or playing around. While teasing can get out of control sometimes, usually talking it out among yourselves works in helping diffuse the situation. Bullying is someone going out of their way to make someone feel bad and to make other's fear them (the bully.) They often do what they do for attention as well, while teasing is mean as a passing. Bully's are NOT friends, and are not nice people. However, we must still have compassion for them as no one is born mean.
florenraph
October 28th, 2018 2:14pm
As someone who's been on the end of both bullying and teasing. Teasing is NOT meant to be hurtful. Typically, most friends would use it to banter such as if someone were to miss a shot in basketball, someone might say nice shot goofball. It's all lighthearted and helps people deal with constructive criticism. The thing about bullying is that, it's meant to hurt. It's done with the intent of hurting the other person repeatedly. It is any sort of imbalance of power. Typically the teaser will stop if at any time the one being teased feels hurt. Knowing the difference between bullying and teasing is important.
Asmile4life
November 21st, 2018 3:12pm
Bullying and teasing are commonly mistaken as the same thing. It is however not. Bullying implies that the actions or words uttered to the bullied are repetitive and inflict inner damage to him/her though time. Whereas teasing is a small joke or thought uttered by someone in order to intetact and bond with the person targeted. Friends are most known to tease however it is known that sometimes teasing can be offensive. The solution would be to talk to th person about your offences in order for them to stop it and understand your feelings. In all talk about it if someone offended you by saying or doing something. They are not obviously aware of the hurt they can inflect.
Anonymous
November 24th, 2018 4:23pm
Teasing is happening among your friends and best friends as well. Maybe you make your friend angry by that, but they would know you don't mean it. It should be appropriate and nonviolent. Both sides should be okay with that, especially the one who is teased. However bullying can be seemed like a similar thing, it is really not. The bullied person is not okay with behavior of a bully. The bully behaves inappropriate and insulting towards the person, who is not friend of them. Often bully dislikes their victim just because they are jealous. The bullies just make people hard to live.