People of any age can be bullied. Whether you are a young child, teen, or an adult, anybody can be the victim of a bully. Bullying can severely impact a person’s mental health, and some people may have trouble seeking support for it. Bullies are experts at finding people they can intimidate. Bullying happens at school, in the workplace, or peer groups. It might occur in an individual’s family. It’s important to understand that adults can be bullied. It’s critical to learn the types of bullying that people practice so you can protect yourself.
Physical Bullying
Physical bullying is a widespread type of abuse. You’ve probably heard about bullies beating up their victims. Whether that happens in a school environment or elsewhere, it’s a dangerous situation. Even though physical bullying is popularized in the media, there are many different types of bullying. However, when someone physically bullies another individual, it can be horrifying. If a child tells an adult that they are being physically bullied, it needs to be taken seriously. It’s not a matter of a toddler hitting another child. Physical abuse is real and harmful. Bullies scare their victims into submission. When a person is physically attacked, they are worried about reporting the abuse. It’s clear that they are concerned for their safety, but they are scared about what the bully will do if they tell on them. If you’re a victim of bullying, no matter what the bully says, make sure to report it. If you’re an adult, report the bullying to the authorities. If you’re a child, tell a teacher, your parents or guardians, or a trusted adult.
Verbal Bullying
Verbal bullying is tricky because the bully can engage in it covertly. They wait until nobody is looking and abuse their victims with words. Verbal bullying is just as serious as physically attacking a person. Verbal abuse is brutal to diagnose, but it happens every day. In abusive relationships, the abuser demeans their victim and crushes their self-esteem. They may engage in name-calling, embarrassment, humiliation, or threatening. Regardless of whether the victim is a child or adult, verbal abuse or bullying is not okay. It’s crucial that the victim reaches out for help. No matter what the bully says, they need to report the abuse. Verbal bullying is severe and harms a person. The bully may convince the victim that they’re worthless and nobody will care if they report the abuse. This is not true, and verbal abuse should be taken seriously. If you are the victim of verbal bullying, make sure that you tell somebody so that you can get the help that you need. You are entitled to get support for your trauma.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that mainly takes place over the internet. Cyberbullies use cell phones, computers, or tablets to torture their victims. It’s an insidious type of abuse because the bully can hurt their victim through private messages. They also may publicly shame them online. Cyberbullies hurt their victims using texts, social media, online forums, and more. When someone abuses a victim online, they may encourage other people or users to join in and hurt their target.
Social media is a dangerous place for cyberbullies. The abuser engages in public humiliation. If cyberbullying gets bad, it could lead to people calling the police or filing harassment charges against the perpetrator. It’s worth noting that people of all ages can be cyberbullied. Kids, teens, or adults are victims of the crime.
Here are some common forms where people are cyberbullied:
- Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Discord, or Tiktok
- Text messaging
- Online gaming communities
- Direct messages (online)
- Instant messaging
If you’re the victim of cyberbullying, it’s crucial to reach out for help. It can have a devastating impact on a person’s mental health, including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, or suicidal ideation. Make sure you tell an adult (if you’re under 18) or the authorities if you’re an adult who is a victim of cyberbullying.
Get help for bullying
Bullies like to intimidate or harm their victims intentionally. Despite what a bully says, there’s always a way to get help. Make sure you tell someone you trust what’s happening. You can always reach out to a therapist if you want to work through the pain of bullying. It’s important to note that bullies are engaging in abusive behavior. You have survived a trauma if you’ve been bullied. Make sure you reach out for support and don’t hesitate to contact a therapist for help in recovering from the abuse. Therapists are safe individuals to speak to about bullying. They will listen to your experiences and help you process them. Your wellbeing is important, and you deserve to heal from the trauma of bullying. People may tell you that it’s “not that bad” or to “get over it.” That’s an unfair assessment to make. Only you know what you’ve been through, and you can work through the pain or anger surrounding bullying in therapy.
