Let’s talk
As I shared last week in the book review (Bullied), I have had my own experiences with being bullied.
I’ve begun to talk to people about their experiences. I’ve realized that almost everyone I know was bullied for one thing or another. Whether it was the colour of their hair, the shape of their body, their clothes, or something else, these scars run deep and effect us long after the actual taunts go away.
Over the past few years the very act of bullying has received much more media attention and many more studies have been done on the long term effects. With this increased media awareness, bullying is no longer being treated as a rite of passage for children.
According to author Sherri Gordon there are 6 types of Bullying that everyone should be familiar with.
Types of Bullying
Let’s begin with the most common form of bullying – acts of physical aggression. When we think of bullying this is the image that comes to mind most often, making it the easiest to identify. Physical bullying can be punching, hitting, kicking, scratching, slapping or shoving. It is any scenario where one person tries to use their physical actions to gain power and control over another.
The next form of bullying is verbal bullying. It is a situation where the bully uses words, statements and name calling to gain power. This type of bullying can be difficult to prove since in most cases it is done without an audience. At least without an audience who might have the ability to affect change. We live in a society where many people still believe the adage that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me”. We’ve learned that this is not true. Words can cause deep scarring on our emotions and can be carried into adulthood and sometimes even into the grave.
Another form of bullying is called relational aggression. This is an intense form of bullying where the bully or bullies ostracize their victims, spread rumors, manipulate situations and break confidences. As an adult who has suffered from this type of bullying you can wind up with huge trust issues that affect all of your relationships. Those who use this form of bullying are trying to increase their own social standing.
We all have come to know and love the internet. Information of all kinds is available at the tip of our fingers. There is more information than we can process or in many cases ever even imagine, yet there is a dark side to this information age. The fourth form of bullying – cyberbullying – is the term that is used when any form of technology is the container for the bullying. There have been instances where websites have been created in addition to the more common messaging or texting forms of bullying.
Sexual bullying is the next potential threat. This is a situation where repeated harmful actions target a person sexually. Examples include sexual name-calling, crude comments, vulgar gestures, uninvited touching, sexual propositioning, and pornographic materials. The targets of this type of bullying are most often girls.
Lastly there is prejudicial bullying. This form of bullying is based on a person’s race, religion, or sexual orientation. This type of bullying is generally done in combination with one of the above-mentioned categories.
Need Help?
My hope is that with more light shone on these problems, we can shift and change the outcomes for all those in society who are currently, or have in the past, experienced this type of pain. Each of us has the right to live our life in joy and without any form of bullying.
If you’d like some help working through your situation with a coach I’d love to chat and see if we are a good fit.
Book a discovery session and let’s see if we can get you feeling better today.