The 5 types of bullying

What types of bullying are there and what are the characteristic features of each?

Bullying is a term that has gained popularity over the last few years, but this phenomenon has existed for as long as mankind has existed. this phenomenon has existed for as long as mankind has existed.. Now, what exactly do we mean by bullying? This Anglo-Saxon word is frequently used to refer to the typical class bullies. That is to say, the abusers, either physically or psychologically.

Bullying is a phenomenon that is characterized by harassment and/or intimidation by the bully against the victim, within the school environment.. The bully enjoys feeling superior to the bullied and rejoices in the suffering of the bullied. Repeated exposure of this condition by the victim can have serious psychological consequences. In some cases, students who have been victims of bullying may commit suicide.

• Bullying in the workplace is called mobbing. You can learn more about this phenomenon in our article: "Mobbing: psychological harassment at work".

The causes of bullying

Bullying is a phenomenon that can be manifested by different causes (personal, family or school), and therefore can occur in any educational center: private or public. Regarding school causes, there seems to be a higher risk of bullying in large schools than in small onesThe risk of bullying is higher in large schools than in small ones, due to the difficulty in monitoring the former.

A personal cause could be, for example, the low self-esteem of the bully. Feeling superior to the bullied would be a way to make up for low self-confidence. As for family causes, the origin of the violence of bullying children could be found in the model of an aggressive father. In addition, economic stress, poor relationship between parents, acquired values, lack of rules of coexistence, etc. could be probable causes of the development of this phenomenon.

Consequences and effects

Victims of bullying can suffer various negative psychological effects.

Research conducted in 2014 at King's College London found that the negative psychological effects suffered by people with bullying remain for 40 years after being a victim of bullying.

This should make us reflect on the serious psychological impact of bullying on the rest of the life of the affected personThe psychological impact of bullying on the rest of the affected person's life, presenting worse indicators of mental and physical health and worse cognitive performance than individuals who did not suffer bullying.

Let's see what are the negative effects on physical and psychological health detected in victims of bullying.

1. Stress

Victims of bullying experience stress not only during school but also years later. This is clear from a study carried out at Tufts University, which reveals that affected individuals secrete more cortisol, a hormone directly involved in the sensation of stress, which explains a large part of the health consequences of bullying..

This would explain a good part of the long-term health consequences in these people, for example the appearance of mental disorders, as pointed out by a study at Johns Hopkins University.

2. Anxiety and depression

Another study, in this case by Duke University, found that victims of bullying were more likely to suffer from disorders such as agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks. They also had higher rates of depression and social isolation.

3. Somatizations

They may also present psychosomatic disorders. This was detected in a report published by Randy and Lori Sansone in 2008.

4. Suicide

In the same study conducted at Duke, a higher probability of suicide was found in these people. The first case of suicide of a person who suffered bullying was the young Spanish Jokin, who at the age of 14 decided to end his life after years of suffering abuse and harassment at his school in the town of Hondarribia.

5. Problems in socialization and in future employment

Victims of bullying at school present statistically worse indicators in terms of their quality of family life and their purchasing power in their adult life. They may also suffer from poorer performance in their social and communication skills, as indicated in the study by Claire Fox and Michael Boulton published in the British Psychological Society.

Types of bullying

But what types of bullying are there? According to the National Center Against Bullying (NCAB) bullying can be classified as follows according to different criteria.

1. Verbal bullying

What is verbal bullying?

Verbal bullying or verbal school bullying is characterized by the bully expressing cruel words, insults, threats, intimidation, jokes and excluding phrases.It is characterized by the bully expressing cruel words, insults, threats, intimidation, jokes and excluding phrases about the victim's appearance, sexual condition, ethnicity, race or disability. Children are more sensitive to this type of comments.

ExampleWhen a child says to another child: "You are very, very fat, and so is your mother".

How to detect it?

Children who are victims of this type of bullying may be absent, grumpy or show a change of appetite. They may also say something about what they have been told and ask if it is true.

2. Physical bullying

What is physical bullying?

Physical bullying is characterized by aggressive and intimidating behavior on the part of the bully, including kicking, hitting, tripping, blocking or shoving.which includes kicking, hitting, tripping, blocking or pushing. It is the best known form of bullying.

ExampleA child is bullied by another child who pulls down his pants at recess.

How to detect it?

Unfortunately, many children do not tell their parents what has happened. But parents can detect if their child is being physically bullied at school because this type of bullying often leaves marks on the victim's body, which sends a signal that the bullying is happening.which sends an alarm signal. Some of these body marks are: cuts, bruises, torn clothes, etc. In addition, the victim may frequently complain of headaches or tummy aches.

3. Social or relational bullying

What is social bullying?

This type of bullying is more difficult to detect and usually happens behind the victim's back. The objective is usually that the person does not join or is not part of a group.. Whether in the lunchroom, at recess soccer games or any social or educational activity of the center, the victim is ignored or disowned by his or her peers.

ExampleA group of girls in a gym class take pictures of a party to which one of the girls in the class was not invited, and while she was present, they treat her as if she were invisible.

How to detect it?

The victim often shows mood swings, avoids peer groups and is alone more than usual.. Girls are more likely to suffer this type of bullying. The emotional Pain produced by social bullying can be just as intense as that suffered by physical bullying and the after-effects can last even longer.

4. Cyberbullying

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is a phenomenon that has arisen due to the rise of social networks.. It is characterized by harassment or intimidation produced through social networks, text messages and emails. Through the digital medium, the harasser spreads false rumors, lies, threats, sexist or racist comments, causing enormous discomfort and psychological and emotional problems in the victim.

ExampleWhen a guy tweets or posts a status on facebook, "Ramon is a loser. How is it possible that he has a girlfriend? I'm sure his girlfriend only wants him for the money".

How to detect it?

It is possible that the victim of cyberbullying spends a lot of time online and is sad and anxious afterwards.. In addition, the person who suffers this type of bullying (and any form of bullying) may have trouble sleeping, and may even beg not to go to school, missing out on activities he or she used to enjoy.

5. Carnal bullying

What is carnal bullying?

This type of bullying is possibly the most complicated to analyze, as many people refuse to accept that there are children who engage in this type of behavior. This type of bullying at school is characterized by sexist or obscene comments, touching the victim in intimate places or pressuring the victim to do something he or she does not want to do (e.g., watch adult movies). (e.g., watching adult movies). This kind of bullying can cause serious psychological problems and forever mark the victim's intimate and affective relationships.

ExampleA boy in class forces a girl to kiss him repeatedly.

How to detect it?

Generally, the victim of this type of bullying will not express what is happening to him/her, but will will avoid situations in which he/she could meet the bully.. For example, by not attending school.

The diversity of violence at school

The existence of different types of bullying shows us to what extent actions aimed at harming or attacking others can take different forms. It is therefore the responsibility of adults and caregivers to detect these forms of physical or psychological violence and to stop them, focusing on the needs of the victims.

It is crucial that stereotypes about what is violence and what is not do not serve as an excuse to make invisible and normalize unacceptable behaviors that, although not related to beatings or injuries, leave psychological marks that can twist the quality of life of children for years.