Type of behaviour – verbal, physical and social

There are three types of bullying behaviour:

 Verbal bullying which includes name calling or insulting someone about physical

characteristics such as their weight or height, or other attributes including race, sexuality,

culture, or religion

 Physical bullying which includes hitting or otherwise hurting someone, shoving or

intimidating another person, or damaging or stealing their belongings

 Social bullying which includes consistently excluding another person or sharing

information or images that will have a harmful effect on the other person.

If any of these behaviours occur only once, or are part of a conflict between equals (no matter
how inappropriate) they are not bullying. The behaviours alone don't define bullying.
Verbal, physical and social bullying can occur in person or online, directly or indirectly, overtly or
covertly.

Setting –
in person and online
Bullying can happen in person or online settings. Online bullying is sometimes called
cyberbullying.
Verbal, physical and social bullying can happen in person.
Verbal and social bullying can happen online, as can threats of physical bullying.
Specific features of online settings create additional concern for students, parents and carers,
and teachers. For example, bullying someone online can potentially have an enormous
audience.
Research shows that children who are bullied online are often also bullied in person. This means
that effectively dealing with online bullying means looking at other situations as well.
Means – direct and indirect
Bullying can be by direct or indirect means.
Direct bullying occurs between the people involved, whereas indirect actions involve others, for
example passing on insults or spreading rumours.
Indirect bullying mostly inflicts harm by damaging another's social reputation, peer relationships
and self-esteem.

Visibility – overt and covert

Bullying can be easy to see, called overt, or hidden from those not directly involved, called
covert.
Overt bullying involves physical actions such as punching or kicking or observable verbal
actions such as name-calling and insulting. Overt, direct, physical bullying is a common depiction
of bullying. (This is sometimes called 'traditional bullying').
But overt physical bullying may not be the most common type of bullying.
Covert bullying can be almost impossible for people outside the interpersonal interaction to
identify. Covert bullying can include repeatedly using hand gestures and weird or threatening
looks, whispering, excluding or turning your back on a person, restricting where a person can sit
and who they can talk with.
Covert social or verbal bullying can be subtle and even sometimes denied by a person who
claims they were joking or 'just having fun'.
Some bullying is both covert and indirect, such as subtle social bullying, usually intentionally
hidden, and very hard for others to see. This type of bullying is often unacknowledged at school,
and can include spreading rumours, threatening, blackmailing, stealing friends, breaking secrets,
gossiping and criticising clothes and personalities.
Indirect covert bullying mostly inflicts harm by damaging another's social reputation, peer
relationships and self-esteem, that is, through psychological harm rather than physical harm.

Harm – physical and psychological

Bullying has the potential to cause harm (although not all unwanted actions necessarily cause
harm).
The physical harm caused by some types of bullying is well recognised.
More recently, research has confirmed that short and long term psychological harm can result
from bullying. This includes the harm to a person's social standing or reducing a person's
willingness to socialise through bullying (particularly covert social bullying).
In fact, just the fear of bullying happening can create distress and harm. The ongoing nature of
bullying can lead to the person being bullied feeling powerless and unable to stop it from
happening.
The effects of bullying, particularly on the mental health and wellbeing of those involved,
including bystanders, can continue even after the situation is resolved.
Read more about the impacts of bullying.
Sometimes the term 'psychological bullying' is used to describe making threats and creating
ongoing fear, but it is more accurate to describe this type of behaviour as 'verbal or social
bullying' and the impact on the person being bullied as 'psychological harm'.

Context – home, work and school

Bullying can happen anywhere. It can happen at home, at work or at school. It can happen to
anyone.
Bullying can occur between students, staff and parents/carers. Bullying. No Way! focuses on
bullying between students, usually called student bullying or school bullying.
Teachers who are experiencing bullying at school should contact their supervisor, health and
safety representative, human resources department or union. Information related to workplace
bullying is available at Australia's Fair Work Commission.
Effects of Bullying

Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and
those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes
including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important
to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a
concern.

Kids Who are Bullied

Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental
health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:

 Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness,

changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities
they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.
 Health complaints
 Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test
scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or
drop out of school.

A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely

violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the
shooters had a history of being bullied.

Kids Who Bully Others

Kids who bully others can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into
adulthood. Kids who bully are more likely to:

 Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults

 Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
 Engage in early sexual activity
 Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
 Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as
adults
Bystanders
Kids who witness bullying are more likely to:

 Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs

 Have increased mental health problems, including depression and
anxiety
  Miss or skip school
The Relationship between Bullying and Suicide
Media reports often link bullying with suicide. However, most youth who are
bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal behaviors.

Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the
cause. Many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems
at home, and trauma history. Additionally, specific groups have an increased
risk of suicide, including American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian
American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. This risk can be
increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers, and
schools. Bullying can make an unsupportive situation worse.
 The Impact of Bullying
Bullying has a REALLY negative impact on everyone involved; the target, the bully and the
bystanders.

Impact on students who are bullied

Students who are bullied are more likely to:

 feel disconnected from school and not like school

 have lower academic outcomes, including lower attendance and completion rates
 lack quality friendships at school
 display high levels of emotion that indicate vulnerability and low levels of resilience
 be less well accepted by peers, avoid conflict and be socially withdrawn
 have low self-esteem
 have depression, anxiety, feelings of loneliness and isolation
 have nightmares
 feel wary or suspicious of others
 have an increased risk of depression and substance abuse
 in extreme cases, have a higher risk of suicide, however, the reasons why a person may be at risk of
suicide are extremely complicated.
Contributing factors to being bullied may include:

 depression
 family problems
 history of trauma
 belonging to a minority group, where isolation or lack of community support is an issue.
 Impact on bullies
Students who frequently bully others are more likely to:

 feel disconnected from school and dislike school

 get into fights, vandalise property and leave school early.
In addition, recent Victorian research has shown that bullying perpetration in Year 10 is associated
with an increased likelihood of theft, violent behaviour and binge drinking.

Impact on bystanders
Students who witness bullying may:

 be reluctant to attend school

 feel fearful or powerless to act and guilty for not acting
 have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
 have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.

Impact on schools
When bullying continues and a school does not take action, the entire school climate and culture can
be negatively affected. This impacts on student learning and engagement, staff retention and
satisfaction and parental confidence in the school, which can lead to:

 the school developing an environment of fear and disrespect

 students experiencing difficulty learning
 students feeling insecure
 students disliking school
 students perceiving that teachers and staff have little control and don't care about them.

The Effects of Bullying

By Sherri Gordon | Reviewed by a board-certified physician
Updated February 05, 2018
PRINT

Being bullied is both heartbreaking and miserable for those targeted. But many adults, unless
they too have been bullied, have a hard time understanding just how much kids can suffer.
They fail to realize that the consequences of bullying are significant and can have a lasting
impact.
This lack of understanding is often called the "empathy gap." Working to close this empathy
gap is one of the best ways to improve bullying policies and prevent bullying.

In fact, efforts to advocate on behalf of victims will not be effective unless people truly
comprehend how painful and traumatic bullying can be. Here is an overview of the effects of
bullying and how victims can recover.

How Does Bullying Affect Victims Emotionally and Socially?

Kids who are regularly targeted by bullies often suffer both emotionally and socially. Not
only do they find it hard to make friends, but they also struggle to maintain healthy
friendships.

ARTICLE
Understanding Bullying Victims

ARTICLE
Victims of Bullying Turn to Weapons to Feel Safe at School

Part of this struggle is directly related to low self-esteem. A lack of self-esteem is a direct
result of the mean and hurtful things that other kids say about them. When kids are
continually called "fat" or "losers," they begin to believe these things are true.

Bullying victims also tend to experience a wide range of emotions. They may feel angry,
bitter, vulnerable, helpless, frustrated, lonely, and isolated from their peers. Consequently,
they may skip classes and resort to drugs and alcohol to numb their pain. And if bullying is
on-going, they may develop depression and even contemplate suicide.

If no intervention takes place, eventually kids can develop what is known as "learned
helplessness." Learned helplessness means that the targets of bullying believe that they
cannot do anything to change the situation. As a result, they stop trying. Then, the cycle down
into depression becomes more severe. This leads to a feeling of hopelessness and the belief
that there is no way out.

As bullied kids grow into adults, they may continue to struggle with self-esteem, have
difficulty developing and maintaining relationships, and avoid social interactions. They also
may have a hard time trusting people, which can impact their personal relationships and their
work relationships. They may even start to believe lies about bullying, such as convincing
themselves that the bullying wasn't as bad as they remember. They also may engage in self-
blame.

What Is the Physical Impact of Bullying?

Aside from the bumps and bruises that occur during physical bullying, there are additional
physical costs. For instance, bullied kids often experience anxiety.

ARTICLE
What You Can Do About Religious Bullying

ARTICLE
6 Common Ways People Blame Victims for Bullying

This stress on their bodies also will result in a variety of health issues, including being sick
more often and suffering from ulcers and other conditions caused by persistent anxiety.

Bullied kids also may complain of stomachaches and headaches. And the bullying they
experience may aggravate other pre-existing conditions like eczema. Skin conditions,
stomach issues, and heart conditions that are aggravated by stress all worsen when a child is
being bullied.
How Does Bullying Impact Academics?

Kids who are bullied often suffer academically, too. Bullied kids struggle to focus on their
schoolwork. In fact, slipping grades is one of the first signs that a child is being bullied. Kids
also may be so pre-occupied by bullying that they forget about assignments or have difficulty
paying attention in class.

Additionally, bullied kids may skip school or classes in order to avoid being bullied. This
practice also can result is falling grades. And when grades begin to drop this adds to the stress
levels the bullied child is already experiencing.

What’s more, a study conducted by the University of Virginia showed that kids who attend a
school with a severe climate of bullying often have lower scores on standardized tests.
Bullying even impacts students who witness it. For instance, kids scored lower on
standardized tests in schools with a lot of bullying than kids in schools with effective anti-
bullying programs.

One reason for the lower scores in schools with pervasive bullying is that students are often
less engaged in the learning process because they are too distracted by or worried about the
bullying. Additionally, teachers may be less effective because they must spend so much time
focused on classroom management and discipline instead of teaching.

The good news is with proper support and intervention, most kids targeted by bullies
will overcome bullying and things will get back to normal. But left unchecked, bullying can
cause the victim to pay a high cost in long-term consequences.

How Does Bullying Impact the Victim's Family Members?

When a child is bullied, it is not uncommon for the parents and siblings to also be affected.

ARTICLE
How Family Members Suffer When a Loved One Is Bullied


 ARTICLE
5 Myths About Victims of Bullying

For instance, parents often experience a wide range of consequencesincluding feeling

powerless to fix the situation. They also may feel alone and isolated. And they may even
become obsessed with the situation often at the expense of their own health and wellbeing.

It also is not uncommon for parents to feel a sense of failure when their child is bullied. Not
only do they feel like they failed to protect the child from bullying, but they also may
question their parenting abilities. They may even worry that they somehow missed the signs
of bullying or that they did not do enough to bully-proof their child along the way.

The truth is that no one can predict whom a bully will target. Parents can do everything right
and still find out that their child is being bullied. As a result, they should never feel
responsible for the choices a bully makes. Instead, they should place the blame where it
belongs and focus on helping their child heal from bullying.

How Does Bullying Impact Victims Long-Term?

Research shows that the effects of bullying last well into adulthood. In fact, one study found
that the consequences from being bullied by peers may have a greater impact on mental
health in adulthood than originally thought. What's more, the impact may be even more
significant than being mistreated by adults.

Remember, the experiences that people have while they are children help mold them into the
adults that they later become. So it is not surprising that effects of bullying linger well into
adulthood. This then helps to influence their future mindset, including how they view
themselves and others.

How Can Kids Heal From the Effects of Bullying?

When a child is bullied, the road to recovery may be more challenging than you might
originally think. In fact, the effects of bullying can stick around long after the bullying has
ended. Moreover, if bullying is not addressed right away, then it can cause problems for your
child later in life.
In order for your child to heal from bullying, there are several important steps you must take.
These include not only changing the way your child thinks about the situation, but also how
he views himself after being bullied. You want to be sure your child does not allow the
bullying he experienced to define him. Instead, he should focus on what he learned and what
his future goals are. To start, your child needs to acknowledge what happened to him but not
focus on it. Instead, he should be focused on taking care of himself and growing as a person.

It's also important to help your child find closure for the situation. And as counterintuitive as
it sounds, forgiving the bully goes a long way in freeing your child from the pain of the
experience. Remind him that revenge will not make him feel better. Instead, he should let go
of what happened to him and focus on the things he can control in his life. Having a
counselor help your child with the recovery process may speed things along. Talk to your
child's pediatrician for suggestions about who to contact in your area.

How Can Adults Overcome the Effects of Childhood Bullying?

When a child is bullied, they can experience a psychological impact that does not go away
simply because the person grows up. If you were bullied as a child and are still experiencing
the side effects, the first step toward recovery from childhood bullying is acknowledging
what happened to you. Do not dismiss what happened to you or minimize the severity. Be
truthful with yourself about the pain you experienced.

You also need to make healing a priority. Take time to take care of yourself and consider
talking with a counselor about your experience. A counselor can help you make sense of your
feelings and move past the negative experience of bullying. He also can help you reframe
your thinking and reclaim control over your life.

While it may be painful to think about the bullying you experienced as a kid, if it is still
impacting your everyday life and the way you view yourself, then it is best to face the issue
head on. Once you have come to terms with what you experienced and changed the way you
view yourself and others, you will be on your way to recovery. It may take some time. So be
patient with yourself. With a little hard work, though, you will be well on your way to a
healthier way of thinking.
 Characteristics of The Typical
Victim of Bullying
By Rebecca Fraser-Thill | Reviewed by Steven Gans, MD
Updated April 17, 2018

 Pin
 Flip
 Email
PRINT

SW Productions/Photodisc/Getty Images

More in Tweens
 Tween Life
 Growth & Development
 Behavior & Emotions

Parents often worry about whether or not their child will be bullied at school, on the
sports field, or in the neighborhood. While any student can be the victim of bullying,
there are certain children that are more likely to encounter the problem. If you're
worried that your tween is vulnerable to bullying you should know what makes a child
stand out to mean peers and bullies. Here are the major characteristics that make
someone more likely to be a victim of bullying and other mean behaviors.

Insecure Personality

Children who act submissively and anxiously are more likely to be bullied than
children who do not have those tendencies. Bullied children also tend to be insecure
and to cry often, even before the bullying begins. In fact, some researchers believe
that a child's lack of assertiveness and security may serve as a cue to bullies that the
child is a "perfect victim". There's also evidence that children who
experience depression and bodily symptoms of stress (such as headaches or
stomachaches) may be more likely to be bullied. This is particularly unfortunate since
these problems also seem to be caused or worsened by bullying.
Lower Peer Acceptance

You've probably seen a move or two that shows a victim eating alone at the lunch
table, or having no or few friends. Bully victims tend to have fewer friends than
children who do not experience bullying. In addition, a victim of bullying is
often perceived poorly by peers and may have experienced peer rejection or is often
left out of social situations. These children are often found alone at recess and
lunchtime. This negative peer response typically occurs long before the bullying
begins.

"Different" in Some Way

Unfortunately, children with special needs are disproportionately victims of bullying.

For instance, children with learning disorders often report that they are bullied as a
result of their disorder. Children with obvious physical or mental issues may also face
abuse at higher levels than their peers, as may those who are homosexual or bisexual.
Even children who stand out for being smart, who come from a different cultural
background, or who are new to a school can be singled out by bullies.

Physically Weak

Being physically weaker than peers also seems to put a child at increased risk of being
bullied. This particularly seems to be the case for kids who look weaker at first glance;
in other words, kids who are shorter, thinner or less muscular than peers. Children
who reach puberty sooner or later than their peers may find themselves vulnerable to
mean behavior, as may children also tend to fail at sports.
Why does bullying happen?
Bullying occurs within a social context. Students integrate the values and social norms from the
school and wider community social contexts as they develop their personal relationships.

Investigating aspects of the whole school and wider community help to determine
why bullying happens. Effective solutions to bullying start with identifying why it is
happening.
What we know
What do students think?
Ways to think about why bullying happens

What we know
A student can bully another person because they:

 don't like the person

 find bullying fun

 like to feel tough, strong and in control

 think it will make them popular.

 Victim Characteristics

A victim is often a person who suffers from

destructive acts, either emotionally or physically. Many believe that victims are
mostly random, undeserving people that were simply in the wrong place at the
wrong time. However, research has come to find that victims quite often find
themselves in the same situation over and over again. There are possible
explanations for victims and their tendency to be victimized. Primarily, victims tend
to be young and smaller physically.
In addition, the home environment plays an important role in a victim’s life. Parental
abuse or misconduct may leave a child with no knowledge of proper relationships.
Perren (2005) states that families of male victims seem to be overly protective and
close, while the families of female victims lean toward unhealthy emotional abuse.
Just as with bullies, a lack of family support can leave a child with deeper
psychosocial problems that may manifest themselves in social environments,
predicting their involvement in victimizing activities.

The school environment is just as important as the home life in the development of
victims. In terms of peers, Perren finds that limited popularity and social networks
can be a precursor for victimization in an adolescent social setting. Limited support
from peers and adults could show a child that bullying is not only right, but also
admirable. The adolescents who are bullied feel as though the whole world is against
them.