Bullying or harassment are classified according to the type of violence that characterizes the relationship between the aggressor and the victim. Therefore, they can take many shapes and forms and can complement each other or occur independently.
From simple comments to physical aggression and public humiliation, bullying instances develop differently. It always results in adverse effects, ranging from the victim’s need to see a psychologist, to personality disorders and, in more severe cases, suicide.
Here is a list of the different types of bullying:
The six most common types of bullying
Physical bullying: This is direct harassment, which ranges from pushing or groping to incidents such as punching, kicking, and all kinds of physical aggression against the victim. There is also indirect physical harassment, which refers to the intentional damage or theft of someone’s belongings with the goal of harming them in mind.
Psychological bullying: These are behaviors that threaten the dignity and integrity of a person and occur through harmful words and defamation, which can trigger different problems, such as feelings of inferiority, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and even suicide.
Cyberbullying is the type of harassment that occurs on the internet. Most of the time, it is the uploading of the victim’s photos without their consent, memes, conversations, and threats. Social networks are the platform through which this type of violence mainly occurs.
Verbal bullying: In this case, it manifests itself through rumors, teasing, insults, nicknames, and other actions that are only intended to harm the victim. It usually occurs in large groups.
Social bullying: This behavior does not usually involve physical or verbal aggression, but is rather the rejection of a person by ignoring them or the “cold shoulder,” which generally occurs within large groups. The objective of this type of bullying is to humiliate the victim, and it often stems from socioeconomic, cultural, and disability issues. Listen to and believe the victim.
Sexual bullying: This is the type of harassment that includes inappropriate touching or unwanted interactions of a sexual nature, attitudes of physical violence, “catcalls”, or other gestures of the sort. Also included in this category are comments on the victim’s physical appearance or intimate life and reference to their sexual orientation.