Bántás

Bántás is a Hungarian noun meaning harm, injury, or mistreatment. In everyday usage it refers to acts that damage another person’s physical or mental well-being, and in formal contexts it is used to describe abuse, harassment, or other wrongful conduct.

Etymology: From the Hungarian verb bántani (to injure, to upset, to harm) plus the nominal suffix -ás, forming a noun that denotes the act or effect of harming.

It can refer to different forms: fizikai bántás (physical harm or assault), lelki vagy érzelmi bántás (psychological or emotional harm), and szóbeli bántás (verbal abuse). In practice, bántás is a common term in discussions about bullying, harassment, domestic violence, and workplace abuse.

Legal and social context: While exact definitions differ by jurisdiction, bántás is commonly addressed through laws against assault, harassment, or domestic violence, and through organizational policies against bullying. Support services, reporting mechanisms, and prevention programs are used to reduce bántás and assist victims.

In Hungarian usage, the term underscores the harm to dignity and safety, and is often employed in both clinical and policy discussions to describe harmful actions and their consequences.