"Bullying" has permeated the public consciousness, and has become a knee-jerk explanation for virtually any negative event in school. Counter to public perception, however, most school conflict is in fact not bullying. School leaders must nonetheless manage community perception simultaneously with the realities within their schools, even when the two are disparate. It is a mistake to respond to this challenge strictly by focusing on the technical aspects of bullying and policy. Rather, principals must proceed from the emotional foundations of bullying allegations, and must have prevention and intervention structures in place that are founded upon relationships and student needs.