Final answer:
April's actions of spreading lies about Ivy is an example of defamation, which involves spreading falsehoods that can damage an individual's reputation and can be considered a form of psychological harm and bullying.
Step-by-step explanation:
When April tells everyone at school lies about Ivy, this behavior can be classified as defamation. Defamation — especially when it involves spreading falsehoods that can injure a person's reputation — is a form of psychological harm. In an educational setting, this kind of conduct can also overlap with bullying, as it could involve emotional harm through social exclusion and verbal taunting. However, scapegoating and confirmation bias are different concepts. Scapegoating typically refers to blaming a person or group for problems that they did not cause, while confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions, often related to stereotypes.
The act of maliciously spreading false information to damage someone's reputation clearly mirrors the definition of vilify, which involves speaking or writing about someone in a way that makes them seem entirely negative. As such, telling lies about someone is not just a violation of trust but can amount to bullying if it's part of a pattern of behavior intended to intimidate or ostracize the targeted individual.
In the broader context, holding stereotypes and prejudice can contribute to acts like hate crimes, where individuals are targeted simply for being perceived as different or belonging to a certain group. This form of dynamic can lead to severe social exclusion and is a significant social issue.