Types of Bullying

This Blog is related to “Bullying”.  I would like to share with you the experiences I have dealt with and my opinions and I hope you will share back with me.  At times the posts will be filled with such small town drama you may wonder if this could be turned into the next daytime soap opera.

I hope to help bring awareness to “Bullying” and what can happen to a family and the hardship it can cause.  It is difficult but clear that the person(s) or family(s) being bullied need to keep a clear head, maintain their sense of humor and don’t lay down and do nothing.  

When you do nothing, Bullies don’t just go away.  They pick at you and fester like a disease, the good thing is there is a cure and you can overcome this hardship just by “Speaking Up and Speaking Out”.  Remember it’s not a tit for tat and there is no justice in a get even plan.  This is a Bully mentality, stand up and be strong and never stoop to the empty and degrading level of a “Bully”.

Definition of bully:

bul·ly¹

ˈbo͝olē/

noun

noun: bully; plural noun: bullies

1. 1.

a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.

synonyms:

persecutor, oppressor, tyrant, tormentor, intimidator; tough guy,thug, ruffian, strong arm.; cyber-bully "the school bully"

verb

verb: bully; 3rd person present: bullies; past tense: bullied; past participle: bullied; gerund or present participle: bullying

1. 1.

use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.

"a local man was bullied into helping them"

synonyms

persecute, oppress, tyrannize, browbeat, harass, torment, intimidate, strong-arm, dominate; informal-push around, bully-rag "the others bully him" coerce, pressure, pressurize, press, push’ force, compel’ badger, goad, prod, browbeat, intimidate, dragoon, strong-arm; railroad, "she was bullied into helping"

6 Types of Bullying:

When you think of Bullying you may picture kids on the playground fighting and arguing.  In fact, physical bullying is only one type of bullying.  Thanks to Ask.com I would like to share with you an overview of the different types of bullying.

1.  Physical Bullying is the most obvious form of bullying. It occurs when kids use physical actions to gain power and control over their targets. Physical bullies tend to be bigger, stronger and more aggressive than their peers. Examples of physical bullying include kicking, hitting, punching, slapping, shoving and other physical attacks.

Unlike the other forms of bullying, physical bullying is the easiest to identify. As a result, it is most likely what people think of when they think of bullying. Additionally, it has historically received more attention from schools than other more subtle forms of bullying.

2.  Verbal Bullying:  Perpetrators of verbal bullying use words, statements and name-calling power and control over a target. Typically, verbal bullies will use relentless insults to belittle, demean and hurt another person. They choose their targets based on the way they look, act or behave. It’s also not uncommon for verbal bullies to target kids with special needs.

Verbal bullying is often very difficult to identify because attacks almost always occur when adults aren’t around. As a result, it is often one person’s word against another person’s word. Additionally, many adults feel that things kids say don’t have a significant impact. As a result, they usually just tell the victims of bullying to just “ignore it.” But research has shown that verbal bullying and name-calling has serious consequences. In fact, it can leave deep emotional scars.

3.  Relational Aggression is a sneaky and insidious type of bullying that often goes unnoticed by parents and teachers. Sometimes referred to as emotional bullying, relational aggression is a type of social manipulation where tweens and teens try to hurt a peer or sacrifice their social standing. Relational bullies often ostracize others from a group, spread rumors, manipulate situations and break confidences. The goal behind a relationally aggressive bully is to increase their own social standing by controlling or bullying another person.

In general, girls tend to use relational aggression more than boys, especially between fifth and eighth grade. As a result, girls who engage in relational aggression are often called mean girls or fr-enemies.

A teen or tween on the receiving end of relational aggression is likely to be teased, insulted, ignored, excluded and intimidated. Although relational aggression is common in middle school, it is not limited to tween. In fact, some bullying bosses and other workplace bullies also engage in relational aggression.

4.  Cyber-bullying When a tween or a teen uses the Internet, a cell phone or other technology to harass, threaten, embarrass or target another person, this is called cyber-bullying. If an adult is involved in the harassment this is called cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking.  Examples of cyber-bullying include posting hurtful images, making online threats, and sending hurtful emails or texts.  Because teens and tweens are always "plugged in," cyber-bullying is a growing issue among young people. It’s also becoming more widespread because bullies can harass their targets with much less risk of being caught.

Cyber-bullies often say things that they not have the courage to say face-to-face because technology makes them feel anonymous, insulated and detached from the situation. As a result, online bullying is often mean and cruel. To the targets of cyber-bullying, it feels invasive and never ending. Bullies can get to them anytime and anywhere, often in the safety of their own home. Consequently, the consequences of cyber-bullying are significant.

5.  Sexual Bullying:  consists of repeated, harmful and humiliating actions that target a person sexually. Examples include sexual name-calling, crude comments, vulgar gestures, uninvited touching, sexual propositioning and pornographic materials. For instance, a bully might make a crude comment about a girl’s appearance, attractiveness, sexual development or sexual activity. In extreme cases, sexual bullying opens the door to sexual assault.

Girls are often the targets of sexual bullying both by boys and by other girls. Boys might touch them inappropriately, make crude comments about their bodies or proposition them. Girls on the other hand might call other girls names like “slut” or “tramp” and make insulting comments about their appearance or body.

Sex-ting also can lead to sexual bullying. For instance, a girl may send a photo of herself to a boyfriend. When they break up, he shares that photo with the entire school. As a result, she then becomes the target of sexual bullying because people make fun of her body, call her crude names and make vulgar comments about her. Some boys may even see this as an open invitation to proposition her or assault her.

6.  Prejudicial Bullying is based on prejudices tweens and teens have toward people of different races, religions or sexual orientation. This type of bullying can encompass all the other types of bullying as well including cyber-bullying, verbal bullying, relational bullying, physical bullying and sometimes even sexual bullying.

When prejudicial bullying occurs, kids are targeting others who are different from them and singling them out. Often times, this type of bullying is severe and can open the door to hate crimes. Any time a child is bullied for his race, religion or sexual orientation, it should be reported.

Now that you are familiar with the types of Bullying you can protect yourself and your family.  Everyone has the right to a happy supportive school and home environment.  Know your personal space and respect others.

My next post “Think Before You Speak”, I will share with you the types of bullying my family and I are currently dealing with and how we are overcoming the bullies in our life.  I hope you all come back and don't be afraid to "Speak Up and Speak Out".  Share your experiences.