Types Of Bullying

Bullying is when somebody uses words or actions to make them feel in control or have power over the other person; they may bully others for lots of different reasons, including peer pressure or because they are low in confidence or suffer from low self-esteem. It may also be because they feel unhappy or angry, but this should not be an excuse!

Bullying can have a negative effect on your emotional health and well-being, and you may start to feel anxious, unsafe, withdrawn or alone.

This is why it’s important to recognise the difference between bullying and it being ‘having a laugh’ ‘

Reporting it to somebody you trust can take courage, but it shows the bullies that it is wrong!

There are a number of different types of bullying, including:

Physical

Physical bullying can include punching, kicking, shoving, fighting, pushing, stealing and destroying personal belongings.

This can be easier to identify if you have suffered obvious injuries, however many sufferers decide to hide any injuries from others in order to protect themselves

Verbal

Verbal bullying includes being insulted, name calling, being teased, being put down or being shouted at by other people.

This can be harder to identify due to it not always being out in the open where others may see and intervene. Verbal bullying can cause just as much harm as physical bullying, but may go unnoticed by others.

Cyber

Cyber bullying is just as serious as face-to-face bullying. The only difference is that a cyber bully tries to hide behind a screen to avoid being caught.

Cyber bullying can cause distress to a person as it’s something that can quickly become out of your control and harder to identify the person behind it. As with other types of bullying, this can have a huge impact on your emotional health and well-being.

View our video on cyber bullying to discover how bullying and abusive behaviour can show up in lots of different ways.

Get some advice and tips on how you can beat the bullies here.

How to get help

If you have questions about bullying or would like to speak to somebody, look at these links or search for local services in the blue box below. Alternatively you can always talk to your school nurse.

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