National Bullying Awareness Month: Bullying comes in many forms
Bullying can affect both children and adults. Bullying typically involves an imbalance of power, when one person acts superior to another or holds a higher title than another.
Being the recipient of bullying never feels good, and it is something that should not be tolerated in schools, businesses or other settings. There are many different types of bullying, so much so that it can be difficult to discern what constitutes bullying and distinguishes it from good-natured teasing. Here’s a look at some of the forms of bullying that can cause pain and distress.
Physical bullying
This type of bullying involves any assault on a person’s body, which can include hitting, kicking, pushing, tripping, stealing personal possessions, or breaking an individual’s belongings. Verywell Mind says that males are more inclined to engage in physical bullying than females.
Verbal bullying
Verbal bullying takes place when someone engages in name-calling or using cruel words that are disrespectful or full of vitriol. Verbal bullying may be employed to attack a person’s beliefs, mock a disability, disparage someone’s appearance, and more.
Social bullying
This type of bullying can include excluding others from a group or getting others to exclude, gossip or spread rumors. Setting another person up to look foolish in front of others or damaging reputations or relationships are additional examples of social bullying. Sometimes this bullying is called emotional bullying.
Cyberbullying
As the name implies, cyberbullying is bullying behavior that takes place through electronic means, says Stomp Out Bullying. Cyberbullying occurs in chat rooms, over social media, through email, and more. It has become a large problem for school-aged children in recent years, as the bullying can follow a child home through their devices. Research by the Cyberbullying Research Center shows that 15 percent of 9- to12-year-olds and 37 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds have experienced cyberbullying at some point in their lives.
Racist bullying
Uttering racial slurs, mocking a person’s cultural customs, making offensive gestures, and spray painting graffiti with offensive, racially charged images or words are all forms of racist bullying.
Bullying can lead to isolation, depression and anxiety and can even contribute to thoughts of suicide. Taking prompt action and asking for help if bullying is suspected can get individuals the assistance they need.
