Type of Bullying #1: Verbal Bullying
Verbal bullying can include teasing, inappropriate comments, name calling, threats and even offensive hand gestures. Any of these acts in written form also constitute verbal bullying.
Such bullying can lead to psychological harm for students, such as lower self-esteem, anxiety or depression.
Type of Bullying #2: Social Bullying
Social bullying can include intentionally leaving someone out of activities, excluding them from lunch tables or other groups, telling other children not to be friends with someone, embarrassing someone in public and rumor-spreading.
This type of bullying can have the same psychological effects as verbal bullying but is more likely to lead to isolation and other anti-social behavior. Parents.com says this type of bullying is more common among female students.
Type of Bullying #3: Physical Bullying
Physical bullying includes hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing and stealing or breaking someone’s belongings.
Victims of this bullying may have cuts, bruises, damaged belongings or clothes, headaches or stomach aches.
Type of Bullying #4: Cyber bullying
This emerging form of bullying includes many of the same behaviors as social and verbal bullying, only they take place online. There are countless ways that students can communicate these days, but social media has made it easier to target individuals and publish threatening, hurtful or offensive information about someone.
Victims of cyber bullying will exhibit similar behaviors to victims of social or verbal bullying, but it may be joined by a dramatic change in their use of social media and other online channels.
Ways to Combat All Types of Bullying
Authority figures, including parents and teachers, can encourage students to report bullying whenever they see it, whether its directed at them or another person. Anonymous tip lines can be a great way to encourage reporting, without your child feeling as though they will be more harshly persecuted by the bully.
Giving students anti-bullying training is also a good way to stop bullying. I offer a talk that I can come to your child's school to address bullying. Its been researched and found that students given anti-bullying training make a bigger different curbing bullying than teachers or school staff members.
Adults should never tell a student to simply ignore bullying or to fight back. Even though this feels like sound advice, often times the situation can get worse if this is the action the child/student takes. Similarly, if an authority figure speaks to a bully once and forgets the matter it will likely do little to solve the problem. Consistent intervention and support is best when trying to handle matters such as chronic bullying.
If you have concerns that need to be addressed with the school, advocate for your child/student, if you need outside support in this ask for a student advocate, call a therapist, or programs like ARC that are in the community.