The
Bullying is a term that has gained popularity over the last few years, but this phenomenon has existed for as long as man has existed . Now, what exactly do we mean by bullying? This Anglo-Saxon word is often used to refer to typical school bullies. In other words, bullies, whether physical or psychological.

Bullying is a phenomenon that
is characterized by the abuser’s harassment and/or intimidation of the victim, within the school setting . The bully enjoys feeling superior to the bullied and rejoices in the bully’s suffering. Repeated exposure of this condition by the victim can have serious psychological consequences. In some cases, students who have been bullied may commit suicide.

Harassment in the workplace is called mobbing. You can find out more about this phenomenon in our article: ”
Mobbing: psychological harassment at work”

The causes of bullying

Bullying is a phenomenon that can manifest itself through different causes (personal, family or school), and therefore can occur in any educational institution: whether private or public. Regarding school causes,
there seems to be more risk of school bullying in large centres than in small ones , due to the difficulty in monitoring the former.

A personal cause could be, for example,
the stalker’s low self-esteem. Feeling superior to the bully would be one way to make up for low self-confidence. In terms of family causes, the origin of bullying children’s violence could be found in the model of the aggressive parent. In addition, economic stress, poor relationships between parents, acquired values, lack of rules for living together, etc. could be probable causes for the development of this phenomenon.

Consequences and effects

Bullying victims
may suffer different negative psychological effects .

A survey conducted in 2014 at the
King’s College London found that the negative psychological effects suffered by people with bullying remain for 40 years after they have been bullied.

This should make us reflect on the serious psychological impact of harassment in the rest of the life of the affected person , presenting worse indicators of their mental and physical health and a worse cognitive performance compared to individuals who did not suffer harassment.

Let’s see what negative effects on physical and psychological health are detected in victims of bullying.

1. Stress

Bullying victims are stressed not only during the school season but also years later. This is evident from a study conducted in the
Tufts University and that it reveals that affected people secrete more cortisol, a hormone directly involved in the sensation of stress .

This would explain much of the long-term health consequences for these people, such as the development of mental disorders, as noted in a Johns Hopkins University study.

2. Anxiety and depression

Another investigation, in this case of the
Duke University, found that bullying victims were more likely to suffer from disorders such as agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks. They also had higher rates of depression and social isolation.

3. Somatizations

They may also have psychosomatic disorders. This was detected in a report published by Randy and Lori Sansone in 2008.

4. Suicide

In the same study at Duke, a higher probability of suicide was found in these people. The first case of suicide of a person suffering from bullying
was that of the young Spaniard Jokin, who at the age of 14 decided to end his life after years of abuse and harassment at his school in the town of Hondarribia.

5. Problems in socialization and in the labor future

Victims of bullying at school have statistically worse indicators in terms of their quality of family life and their purchasing power in their adult life. They may also suffer a worse performance in their social and communication skills, as indicated in this study by Claire Fox and Michael Boulton published in the British Psychological Society .

Types of bullying

But what types of bullying are there? According to the
National Center Against Bullying (NCAB) bullying can be classified as follows according to different criteria .

1. Verbal bullying

What is it?

Verbal bullying is characterized by the bully expressing cruel words, insults, threats , intimidation, jokes and exclusionary phrases about the appearance, sexual condition, ethnicity, race or disability of the victim. Children are more sensitive to these types of comments.

Example : When a child says to another child: "You are very, very fat, and so is your mother".

How to detect it?

Children who are victims of this type of bullying may be absent, moody, or show a change in appetite. They may also say something about what they have been told and ask if it is true.

2. Physical bullying

What is it?

Physical bullying is characterised by aggressive and intimidating behaviour by the bully , including kicking, hitting, tripping, blocking or pushing. It is the best known form of bullying.

Example : A child is bullied by another child who pulls down his pants at recess

How to detect it?

Unfortunately, many children do not tell their parents what has happened. But parents can tell if their child is being physically bullied because
this type of bullying often leaves marks on the victim’s body , which sends out an alarm signal. Some of these body marks are: cuts, bruises, torn clothing, etc. In addition, the victim may frequently complain of headaches or tummy aches.

3. Social or relational bullying

What is it?

This type of bullying is more complicated to detect and usually happens behind the victim’s back.
The aim is usually that the person does not join or is not part of a group . Whether it is in the dining room, in the football matches at recess or in any social or educational activity at the centre, the victim is not recognised or rejected by his/her peers.

Example : A group of girls in a gym class take their pictures about a party where one of the girls in the class was not invited, and being present, they treat her as if she were invisible.

How to detect it?

It is common for the victim to show mood swings, avoid peer groups and be alone more than usual . Girls are more prone to this type of bullying. The emotional pain produced by social bullying can be just as intense as that suffered by physical bullying and the consequences can last even longer.

4. Cyberbullying

What is it?

Cyberbullying is a phenomenon that has arisen due to the rise of social networks . It is characterised by the harassment or intimidation produced through social networks, text messages and emails. Through the digital medium, the harasser spreads false rumours, lies, threats, sexist or racist comments, causing enormous discomfort and psychological and emotional problems for the victim.

Example : When a guy tweets or posts a status on facebook, “Ramon is a loser. How come he has a girlfriend? I’m sure his girlfriend just wants him for the money”.

How to detect it?

The victim of cyberbullying may spend a lot of time online and look sad and anxious afterwards . In addition, the person who suffers this type of bullying (and any form of school bullying) may have problems sleeping, and may even beg not to go to school, abstaining from activities that he or she used to enjoy.

5. Carnal bullying

What is it?

This type of bullying is possibly the most complicated to analyze, as many people refuse to accept that children engage in this type of behavior. This kind of bullying at school
is characterised by macho or obscene comments, by touching the victim in intimate places or pressuring him/her to do something that he/she does not want to do (e.g. watching adult movies). This kind of bullying can cause serious psychological problems and mark the victim’s intimate and emotional relationships forever.

Example : A boy in class forces a girl to kiss him repeatedly.

How to detect it?

Usually, the victim of this type of bullying will not express what is happening to him, but
will avoid situations where you might encounter the stalker . For example, by not attending school.

The Diversity of Violence in Schools

The existence of different types of bullying shows us to what extent actions aimed at harming or attacking others can take different forms. Therefore, it is the responsibility of adults and caregivers to detect these forms of physical or psychological violence and put a stop to them, focusing on the needs of the victims.

It is crucial that stereotypes about what is and what is not violence do not serve as an excuse to render invisible and normalize unacceptable behaviors that, while not related to beatings or injuries, leave psychological marks that can twist children’s quality of life for years.

Bibliographic references:

  • De Acevedo, A. (2010). Someone is bothering me: the bullying . Editions B.
  • Barri, F. (2006). S.O.S. Bullying: Preventing bullying and improving coexistence. Praxis, S.A.
  • Norman K.J., Seiden J.A., Klickstein J.A., Han X., Hwa .LS., et al. Social stress and escalated drug self-administration in mice I. Alcohol and corticosterone . Psychopharmacology.

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  • Ricou Sanz, J. (2005). Harassment at school. RD Editores.