There are several types of bullying, which may extend to various aspects of our personal and professional lives. Nonetheless, there are a few basic types which have their tentacles stretched far and wide…
Bullying is the act of intentionally harming another person through some form of abuse. The bully enjoys watching people suffer because of his or her acts, and derives pleasure from other people’s pain. There are many forms of bullying, which have spread across the entire spectrum of human society and living. It is something we all have had to deal with at some point in time in our lives and at varying degrees.
It might not be wrong to say that, to be dominating and watching others suffer, is in some ways an innate part of the human personality, which can never be removed but can only be curtailed. This curtailment is brought about by introducing laws, which ensure the well-being of individuals. The second approach is through instilling morals and respect for fellow beings, which makes some people averse to this behavior.
The Different Types of Bullying
#1 – Verbal Bullying
Verbal bullying can also be silent in nature, when the person refuses to speak to you, even though you have done nothing wrong. Or it could be actually verbal, where hurtful comments are made about your appearance, ethnicity, skin color, intellect and lifestyle choices. It usually begins in school and continues in some form or the other throughout our lives. Using aggressive profanities, so as to instigate and extract a reaction out of person being bullied, is the entire objective behind verbally abusing the victim.
#2 – Physical Abuse
This is one of the disturbing bullying facts is that almost always turn violent eventually! Physical abuse begins from school for some hapless children who are often pushed, shoved, punched and kicked around by senior or bigger students. Physical bullying also includes not letting the victim eat his or her food or study at school. As you get older, physical abuse can take the form of sexual bullying, where men harass and eve tease women. It also can be where men are assaulted by other men, and sometimes women.
#3 – Social Bullying
Social bullying includes spreading wrongful information about the victim in order to malign his or her reputation in society, and by isolating the individual and not interacting with the victim at all, thereby completely ignoring them. Making the victim feel unwanted and a liability is also another way of this type, and also cracking jokes on the victim’s personality and gathering in groups in order to rebuke the victim.
#4 – Relationship Abuse
Where one partner tries to dominate every aspect of his or her partner’s life, thereby requiring the victim to do, say, and act according to the bully’s whims and fancies. There is constant criticizing and ridiculing the weaker partner. This abuse can take violent forms and can result in physical assaults and mental torture. These partners use fear as their method of control, in order to manipulate the emotions of the abused partner.
#5 – Homophobic Abuse
Some people are homophobic and detest openly gay or lesbian people, and do not accept their way of life. This group of people are often victimized and assaulted, either verbally, physically, economically or mentally. They are constantly under threat and fear being hurt by society.
#6 – Cyber-Bullying
Internet and cell phones have made it easier for bullies to extract information about other people as well as manipulate their feeling in order to gain false sympathy. Many children and adults have fallen prey to cyber stalkers, who have befriended the victims and then caused some form of emotional or physical harm to them. Cell phone numbers are being used by stalkers for intimidating people and for making threatening calls. The second form of cyber abuse it to use the Internet to bully someone, by making mean jokes about them, uploading rude photos and private pictures of helpless victims, and thereby by defaming the person entirely.
#7 – Media Abuse
The media too is a huge bully because it has helped deepen the roots of stereotypes, which solicit negative emotions from its billions of viewers. For instance, today, overweight people are portrayed as unattractive simply because of the shape of their built. While a person with a sleeker body is naturally deemed more attractive. This is a mere one instance which has been mentioned, but the trend is much bigger.
We all will continue to be bullied for the rest of our lives, if we do not stop our bullies. We need to have the courage to tell them, that we have had enough and more will not be tolerated. Stand up for yourself and fight for your rights, as we are all humans and equals in the eyes of the law.
