Mom Alert! Identifying 6 Types of Bullying

Bullying has become a serious problem in our society. Unfortunately, it is not limited to getting beat up, either. It is SO much more than that. Children are being terrorized by OTHER children. We, as moms and parents, must do our part in identifying and helping end this horrible act of abuse.

You see, I was a bullied child. I was the geek and the child that was beaten up after school and made fun of relentlessly — every day. I hated school and never fit in. I lived in fear and never felt good enough since I was not accepted by my peers. My parents did little to aid in the situation… I assume because bullying was not yet considered a real problem. Unfortunately, the effects of childhood bullying still haunts my thought life. I can still hear that inner voice telling me that I will never be good enough, pretty enough, funny enough or popular enough to ever really be loved and accepted by my peers. Sad, but true.

I tell you this so that you can see how the pain of it carries on through adulthood, and maybe, just maybe enough people speaking about it can help bring it to its knees, and make it something that can be dealt with instead of allowing it to continue on in society. There should be a NO tolerance rule in all schools as far as bullying. Period.

There are six different types of bullying and some are more easily identifiable than others. If your child is being bullied or you know someone that is being bullied, it MUST be brought to light. Staying silent is not the answer and can have dire consequences. Stand up for your child and what you believe to be right and be strong.

I wish my parents stood up for me…

Identifying 6 Types of Bullying

1. Physical
This type of bullying is what many kids often see. These actions are used to cause hurt and humiliation.

– Punching
– Kicking
– Poking
– Choking
– Grabbing
– Hitting
– Spitting
– Intentional Tripping
– Pushing
– Scratching
– Biting
– Pinching
– Hair Pulling
– Taking, stealing, hiding or breaking/damaging someone’s belongings (coat, knapsack, water bottle, books, etc.)

2. Verbal
Name calling, taunting, tormenting, teasing, insulting, and making negative remarks to someone are all forms of bullying. You’ll find this type of bullying not just among kids, but in work places commonly from people in management.

Verbal bullying is the easiest to cause hurt and embarrassment in a short amount of time and because it doesn’t leave any visible marks, it is used most often.

3. Indirect
Indirect bullying happens when others gossip or spread false rumors about another person. Many indirect bullying happens among girls. Girls tend to be more gossipy, catty and malicious, while boys lean more towards physical violence.

4.  Cyber Bullying
Communication technology makes it so much easier for people to connect, but it’s a system where it is widely abused and used for the wrong reasons. Cyber bullying is found via email, texting, blogging, chat rooms, and forums and through various popular social media sites. Another form of bullying and harassment is the spreading and posting of unflattering or hurtful photos/images online or using websites to flame.

5. Group Alienation
This type of bullying happens when a person is intentionally excluded from a group for whatever reason. It may be because they don’t like the person’s sexual orientation, their religion or race, physical appearance, or disability.

6. Intimidation
Using intimidation to bully is getting the victim to feel terror about themselves and or for their family. Usually the bully wants the victim to do something or them, thus, using this scare tactic to get what they want.

Unfortunately, all types of bullying are found every where and every day. It’s not only around kids, but it happens among families and in work places.

As parents, we don’t want our kids to be bullied nor do we want our kids to be a bully. Sit down with your child and explain what is bullying and what is not. Teach them the types of bullying and what they should do if they see one happening or experience it themselves. It is also important to teach our children not to BE the bully. They need to be taught compassion and empathy for others.

Again, I wish my parents stood up for me…

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. – Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)

Related Post: Identifying and Dealing with Bullies

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