Jan I still consider that if someone is slandered or their character is besmirched in some way, and the person wants to pursue some sort of action against the perpetrator, then legal recourse already exists to do that.
Bullying has it's own definition/s according to the context, eg workplace or whatever, and is not the same as slander or besmirching etc.
On a separate note, I followed up Diapdealer's link (post no 5) and quite appreciated the following from the blog of Foz Meadows:
'Because bullying is not a synonym for argument, disagreement or pejorative reactions. Bullying is not a synonym for disliking someone, or for thinking their work is rubbish. Bullying is not even a synonym for saying so, publicly and repeatedly, in a place where that person can hear it – although that’s certainly unpleasant. Bullying is when someone with a greater position of power and/or possessed of greater strength repeatedly and purposefully attacks, harasses, belittles and/or otherwise undermines someone in a position of lesser power and/or possessed of lesser strength.'
http://fozmeadows.wordpress.com/2012...ing-goodreads/