Bullying - types, impact, and how to confront it

Bullying - types, impact, and how to confront it

The concept of bullying

Bullying--its types, its impact, and how to confront it

Bullying is defined as a form of intentional abuse and harm to an individual or a group of people by bad people who have power or exercise their power over those who feel unable to confront them, and bullying is in the form of verbal, physical, psychological, or emotional abuse. Generally in two forms as follows:

• Direct bullying: that is, face to face and includes physical actions; Such as hitting and kicking, or verbal acts of insults and insults.
• Indirect bullying: It occurs in a way that others do not notice but it causes harm and is spreading rumors, lies, and so on.

Reasons for bullying

Bullying behavior appears in a person as a result of neglect in raising a child from a young age, and his growth in an environment devoid of incentives for healthy growth, as it makes him a person who lacks the skills of social communication with others, and builds in him a kind of paranoid feeling, the search for power, and self-affirmation through coercion. And the matter and indifference to the feelings of those who are being bullied and dealing with them in ways that are harsh alone, and the bullied person sees himself as right in all cases.

Types of bullying

There are some types of bullying

Physical bullying: It is the most obvious type of bullying, as it is based on the bullying person practicing harmful physical actions to satisfy his own needs for strength and control, and usually the person practices this type of bullying on people who are weaker or younger than him, and this is represented in a severe beating, kicking, slapping, and punching, pushing forcefully, leaving traces on the body, and other harmful acts.

Verbal bullying: The bully practices verbal bullying through insults and insulting the other party with obscene and humiliating words, and this is considered contempt for the other party and belittles him. Bullying is usually practiced on children with special needs, and recent studies and research have proven that verbal bullying has serious consequences because what it leaves with The child suffers from deep emotional scars that have a long-term impact.

Emotional aggressive bullying: It is considered one of the types of cunning bullying based on malice, and it is represented by spreading lies and false rumors to control the person and reduce his social value, and this is for the bully to obtain a better social status than that of the person being bullied.

Cyberbullying: In light of the modernity of technology, bullying has also moved to technology through social networking sites and others, through electronic blackmail, harassment, and threats from unknown people to implement certain requests, or receive messages containing psychologically harmful insults. The identity of the bully.

The rights the bully is violating

The bully transgresses and violates several rights of the other person as a result of practicing his harmful behaviors of all kinds, and the most important rights violated are as follows:

The right to live in a safe and secure environment free from all kinds of violence.

The right to have a quiet workplace free of disturbances.

The right to practice the recreational side and play in a safe environment.

The right to education.

Right to privacy.

The right to share an opinion.

Bullying in schools

The phenomenon of bullying in schools is considered one of the biggest societal problems worldwide, and it is the basis for building aggressive behaviors in the child, as this affects the child’s physical, emotional, psychological, social, and academic aspects, so preventing bullying in school is necessary given Because of the importance of the school environment and considering it as one of the critical environments that greatly affect students from their early childhood, several methods can be taken for this by teachers and administrators through the following methods:

• Establishing the concept of kindness and softness in children from an early age, and the importance of being able to build their emotions.
• Monitor children's behavior, set barriers and limits for anyone who practices bullying of all kinds, and discipline him in a way that deters him from repeating his behavior.
• Giving children the freedom to express their opinions without fear of the reaction of their peers, as contributes to building a child’s personality capable of facing any future bullying.
• Establishing behavioral rules that warn students against bullying or aggression as a means of prevention by setting positive rules suitable for different ages.
• Motivating students by rewarding everyone who performs positive behavior.

Bullying at work

Bullying at work appears in the form of actions or words that cause psychological or mental harm to the individual, and lead to the person’s isolation and introversion around himself, and bullying behaviors vary in the workplace, and examples of them are the following:

• Spreading false rumors and gossip among employees.
• Obstructing the work of an individual.
• Constant criticism.
• Implementation of penalties without need or reason.
• Giving impossible deadlines to complete the required task.
• Work rules change from time to time.
• Prevent vacation or promotion requests.
• Tampering with employees' personal property or work equipment

The effect of bullying on the individual

There are many effects that bullying has on the individual, including the following:

• Feeling frustrated, helpless, and weak.
• Loss of confidence.
• Shock.
• Constant anger.
• Insomnia, headaches, and constant anxiety.
• Loss of appetite and stomach pain.
• family tension.
• Inability to focus and low productivity of the individual.

How to face bullying

The most appropriate action must be taken in the event of bullying to overcome it, through the following:

• Psychological support: It is necessary to find a shelter that provides the individual with psychological support, especially from family and friends, as this contributes to giving the individual assistance to mitigate the impact of bullying on him, and to give him the necessary strength to confront it.
• Understanding the bully: Understanding the personality of the bully contributes to identifying the reasons that prompted him to practice this behavior, and determining whether he is forced or suffering from a problem, as this helps to reduce the impact of the other party.
• Acceptance of feelings: A person faces a mixture of volatile feelings as a result of being bullied, which include feelings of hatred, anger, depression, anxiety, sadness, and others. Therefore, it is very important not to make any negative decisions, and try to understand these feelings and their causes or share these negative feelings with others. Trust people, so that he can get rid of those feelings.
• Managing mental abilities: trying to overcome the mental effects of bullying and reduce stress by avoiding isolating oneself from others, and practicing some practices that contribute to that; Yoga, meditation exercises, or enjoying a favorite hobby.
• Volunteering: Volunteering and helping other people who are being bullied is one of the means that increase self-confidence and reduce the effects of bullying on the individual.