acoso escolar
/akoso eskolaɾ/from spelling rules
To say bullying in Spanish, use acoso escolar.
acoso escolar means bullying at school, persistent acts meant to hurt or intimidate a classmate. It is the term used by schools, parents and the press.
Meaning: persistent acts intended to make life unpleasant (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
acoso means harassment, and escolar means related to school.
Which one should you use?
acoso on its own means harassment in general, so escolar narrows it to school bullying.
Did you know?
- The root of acoso comes from the verb acosar, which originally referred to the act of hunting or pursuing game until it was exhausted.
- In some Latin American regions, the informal term matoneo is used instead of acoso escolar, stemming from the word for 'killer' or 'thug'.
- The word acoso carries a heavy connotation of 'stalking' in Spain, where it is used in legal contexts to describe criminal harassment.
Examples in context
- El acoso escolar es un problema grave.School bullying is a serious problem.
- Ella sufrió acoso escolar durante mucho tiempo.She suffered school bullying for a long time.
Example conversation
Two teachers are discussing a recent incident at school.
- ElenaJavier, hay un caso de acoso escolar en el aula.Javier, there is a case of school bullying in the classroom.
- JavierLo siento, Elena, ¿qué pasó exactamente?I am sorry, Elena, what exactly happened?
- ElenaUn estudiante está molestando a otro constantemente.One student is constantly bothering another.
- JavierDebemos hablar con los padres de inmediato.We must talk to the parents immediately.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acoso, escolar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
