Bullying affects children and adults, and typically involves an imbalance of power, with one person acting superior to another. Bullying feels terrible, and should not be tolerated in schools, businesses, or other settings. Here are some of the forms of bullying that can cause pain and distress.
- Physical bullying involves assault on a person’s body, including hitting, kicking, pushing, tripping, stealing, or breaking personal possessions. Amanda Nickerson, PhD, of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention, says males are more inclined to engage in physical bullying than females.
- Verbal bullying involves name-calling or using cruel disrespectful hateful words to attack a person’s beliefs, mock a disability, or disparage someone’s appearance.
- Relational bullying involves excluding or getting others to exclude someone from a group, gossiping, spreading rumors, or making a person look foolish in front of others to damage their reputation.
- Cyberbullying occurs through electronic means, such as chat rooms, social media, email, and more. Cyberbullying is a large problem for school-aged children, as bullying can follow a child home through their devices. Research by the Cyberbullying Research Center shows that 15% of 9- to 12-year-olds and 37% of 13- to 17-year-olds have experienced cyberbullying.
- Bias bullying can involve racial or other slurs against marginalized people, mocking cultural customs, making offensive gestures, spray painting graffiti with offensive images, or uttering disparaging words.
Bullying can lead to isolation, depression, and anxiety, and can even contribute to thoughts of suicide. Taking prompt action, and asking for help if bullying is suspected, can get individuals the assistance they need. Learn about the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at https://ed.buffalo.edu/alberti, or call 716-645-1532. Learn about, and register to attend the center’s annual conference on bullying on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at https://ed.buffalo.edu/alberti/events/annual-conference.html.
