Types of bullying
A free web app to help you push back against bulling
Bullying is a form of aggression that is unprovoked; the bully initiates the bullying behaviour.
(Dodge and Coie, 1987 – adapted)
BackChat helps you create a pushback response for ten types of bullying.
1. Verbal and emotional bullying
Verbal bullying includes name calling, insults, teasing, intimidation, homophobic or racist remarks and verbal abuse. Verbal bullying is never okay. Verbal bullying can penetrate deep into the psyche and harm the person being bullied.
Verbal and emotional bullying can be used as a tool by bullies to both improve their social standing and control others. Unlike physical bullying which is obvious, emotional bullying is not overt and can continue for a long time without being noticed by others.
Source (adapted) – National Centre Against Bullying | PREVNet | Wikipedia
2. Cyber bullying
Cyber bullying can be overt or covert behaviours using digital technologies, including hardware such as computers and smartphones, and software such as social media, instant messaging, texts, websites and other online platforms.
Cyber bullying can include:
- Abusive or hurtful texts, emails, posts, images or videos
- Deliberately excluding others online
- Nasty gossip or rumours
- Imitating others online or using their log-in
Source (adapted) – National Centre Against Bullying | PREVNet | Wikipedia
3. Disability bullying
Disability bullying is directed at someone with a disability. The forms of bullying can include leaving someone out, treating them badly, making them feel uncomfortable, or making jokes to hurt them because of their disability.
Disabled people are disproportionately targeted by bullying and abuse, and such activity has been cited as a hate crime. The bullying is not limited to those who are visibly and physically disabled, but also those with learning disabilities, such as autism and people with coordination challenges.
Those with learning disabilities are often not as able to explain things to other people and are more likely to be disbelieved or ignored if they do complain.
Source (adapted) – National Centre Against Bullying | PREVNet | Wikipedia
4. LGBTQ and gender bullying
Gay bullying and gay bashing involve direct or indirect verbal or physical actions by a person or group against someone who is gay or lesbian, or perceived to be so due to rumours or because they are considered to fit gay stereotypes.
Gay and lesbian youth are more likely than straight youth to report bullying.
Trans bashing is the act of victimizing a person physically, sexually, or verbally because they are transgender or transsexual.
Source (adapted) – National Centre Against Bullying | PREVNet | Wikipedia
5. Parental bullying
Parents who may displace their anger, insecurity, or a persistent need to dominate and control their children in excessive ways increase the likelihood that their own children will in turn become overly aggressive or controlling towards their peers.
The American Psychological Association advises that parents who suspect that their own children may be engaging in bullying behaviour should carefully consider the examples which they themselves may be setting for their own children regarding how they typically interact with their own peers, colleagues, and children.
Source (adapted) – National Centre Against Bullying | PREVNet | Wikipedia
6. Workplace and social bullying
Social and workplace bullying, sometimes referred to as covert bullying, is often harder to recognize and can be carried out behind the bullied person’s back. It is designed to harm someone’s social reputation and/or cause humiliation. Social and workplace bullying include:
- lying and spreading rumours
- negative facial or physical gestures, menacing or contemptuous looks
- playing nasty jokes to embarrass and humiliate
- mimicking unkindly
- exclusion
- encouraging others to socially exclude someone
- damaging someone’s reputation or social acceptance.
Source (adapted) – National Centre Against Bullying | PREVNet | Wikipedia
7. Sexual bullying
Sexual bullying includes making people feel uncomfortable because of their sex; making sexist comments or jokes; touching, pinching or grabbing someone in a sexual way; making crude comments about someone’s sexual behaviour or orientation; or spreading a sexual rumour.
Sexual bullying is “any bullying behaviour, whether physical or non-physical, that is based on a person’s sexuality or gender. It is when sexuality or gender is used as a weapon by boys or girls towards other boys or girls – although it is more commonly directed at girls. It can be carried out to a person’s face, behind their back or through technology.”
Source (adapted) – National Centre Against Bullying | PREVNet | Wikipedia
8. Racial and cultural bullying
At the intersection of racism and bullying, a person is attacked not as an individual but as a representative of a family, group or community. The racist motivation of the bully and the language used are usually aimed at members of minority groups.
Racism has been the cause of untold misery, brutality and murder in the history of humankind. Those who are targeted often feel that not only are they being bullied personally, but that their families and communities are under attack, too. Racist words and behaviour are experienced as onslaughts on the fundamental values, beliefs and self-worth of the victims. It is an attack on a person’s very identity.
Source (adapted) – Keith Sullivan | PREVNet | Wikipedia
9. Physical bullying
Physical bullying includes hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, beating up, stealing or damaging property.
While physical bullying causes harm to a person’s body or property, it also causes psychological harm. Such offensive, degrading and rejecting behaviours undermine and destabilize the victim’s sense of self, of their place in their social setting and in the world.
Source (adapted) – National Centre Against Bullying | PREVNet | Wikipedia
10. Religious bullying
Religious bullying includes treating people badly because of their religious background or beliefs, making negative comments about a religious background or belief, calling someone names or telling jokes based on their religious beliefs with the intention of hurting them.