Types of bullying and their consequences

In Spain, bullying is a latent problem, thousands are cases and few appear documented due to poor action, lack of information or inadequate training. It is a problem that harms human rights: education, health, adequate standard of living ... and affects minors and adolescents, of whom we must worry about protecting from any violence and discrimination. In this Psychology-online article we will address the main issues around this phenomenon: ¿What is? ¿What are the main Types of bullying and its consequences in the minor? ¿How we can prevent it?

1. What is bullying?
2. What are the types of bullying?
3. Consequences of bullying
4. How to prevent bullying?

What is bullying?

Before addressing the definition of bullying It is possible to make clear the distinction between violence and bullying, that is, between violence and harassment. When the acts towards the minor occur "once", it is usually described as mistreatment or violence while They occur repeatedly, With some frequency, we would talk about bullying or bullying.

The most used definition is that of the author Dan Olweus, who was the first to address the subject: "Harassment is a physical and/or psychological persecution behavior that performs a student against another, who chooses as a victim of repeated attacks." The continuity of these attacks is key to definition and to understand the suffering and consequences of bullying in the victim that we will see later and that feels completely helpless and unable to solve what happens.

To better understand the concept, it is also possible to mention the actors participating in bullying:

• Victims: There are different types, according to Olweus: “The typical, among which are the most anxious and insecure students who are usually cautious, sensitive and quiet; They have low self -esteem, they have a negative opinion of themselves and their situation; And they are frequently considered as failed feeling stupid and ashamed. This type of victims has been called passive or submissive and will not respond to the attack or insult. Another type of victims are the provocative that are characterized by a combination of anxiety and aggressive reaction models. These students usually have concentration problems and behave so that they cause irritation and tension around them. Some of them can be hyperactive ".
• Aggressors or stalkers: There are also different types, typical are usually those that are characterized by their belicitality and impulsivity as well as a need for domain towards others, they are often insecure.
• Spectators: All those colleagues who do not participate in intimidation and aggressions directly and who generally do not take the initiative but passively support the aggressor.

What are the types of bullying?

There are different Types of bullying According to the perspectives and studies by different authors, in this article we will mention four to provide broader information on the subject:

• Physical harassment
• Psychological, relational or social harassment
• Harassment by teachers to students
• He cyberbullying or cyberbullying

1. Physical harassment

Direct aggressive behaviors towards the person or their belongings: assault, push, material damage, Theft of money, break clothing, bite, spit ..

2. Psychological, relational or social harassment

Acts that make the individual a victim or/and produce isolation of the social group damaging the interpersonal relationships of the person, ignoring, humilling, devalued, not letting participate in group activities ... it can be done both directly by the aggressor and indirectly when it makes the spectators who carry it out. The objective of all this is to reduce the victim's self -esteem, promoting the feeling of insecurity and fear that verbal behaviors such as insults, threats also appear ... threats ..

3. Harassment by teachers to students

According to the author Cabezas, there is a modality of harassment referring to teachers, those figures of authority that often support behaviors related to harassment and simply pass through an exercise of their power given their position. The author says that some professors abuse for various reasons of their situation of authority "taking as a target" the students in a visible way, either through disapproving, punishments, lies..

4. He cyberbullying or cyberbullying

One of the new identified forms of bullying is the cybeacoso, defined as the use of some communication and information technologies through which it is humiliated or/and damages the victim of harassment of the victim of harassment. Insults and threats move to the Internet often making public the identity of the victim on social networks or mobile phones are used to record some insults or aggressions and disseminate them. Here you can see the causes, consequences and types of cyberbullying.

Consequences of bullying

The victim of bullying can suffer a wide variety of symptoms and consequences derived from aggression. Generally, the problems are framed within anxiety disorders: school or social phobia, anguish crisis, appetite and sleep disorders that can end up deriving in a post-traumatic stress disorder. Sensation of helplessness, low self -esteem, distrust In others, social withdrawal and depressive paintings that in the worst case could lead to suicide.

Somatic diseases are also common as well as poor school performance, Changes of attitude, habits and character, feelings of guilt, revenge and stigmatization, threatening or assaulting other children and more violent attitudes with everyone. Those physical injuries are also included that in some cases may appear committed by the aggressor.

How to prevent bullying?

Bullying must be treated as a serious global problem where, in addition, we must understand that all participants have problems solving. First, it is essential train fathers and mothers To educate children with affection and limits as well as spend time with their children, they worry and interest their life. Make them learn that respect is necessary, that communication and avoid violence at all costs. Infants must grow having good self -esteem and knowing that anyone should not be discriminated against. In the following article you will find how to improve social skills in children.

In many cases it happens that the situation is intervened late, leaving difficult damage to recompose in the victim. It should be avoided at all costs that this occurs, both by teachers, as well as classmates, families and professionals. We must stop thinking that many behaviors are "boys things" or that "this has always happened" and try not to minimize or maximize things, but to see them from a balanced and rigorous perspective to prevent the situation or intervene in time.

A holistic approach is needed that contemplates various fields and leads to improve interpersonal and community relationships as well as the detection of early risk factors. Many times in schools they limit themselves to labeling children as aggressive early without paying attention to the causes that underlie these behaviors, we must act and find out what happens to the child to help him. In general, the joint collaboration of parents, teachers and therapists for these situations and for their prevention is important. In this article you can read how to work emotions in boys and girls.

On the other hand, in terms of policies, Amnesty International's last report emphasizes that: "In recent years, the central and regional authorities have adopted Legislative and administrative measures In relation to bullying, many of which have been received with satisfaction by educators and educators. However, all the mechanisms for the presentation of reports and the monitoring are insufficient and, in practice, the existing protocols do not adequately address all forms of bullying "have not been implemented."

In March 2017, after consulting with the Autonomous Communities and the Educational Community, the Spanish Government presented the Strategic School Coexistence Plan. This, however, includes some measures that have not yet been implemented - as a training plan for teachers in the subject, for example - and that is important to carry out. In this last year, 2019, the Help telephone number for bullying situations received 12.799 calls, of which 5.557 were identified as possible cases of harassment. The figure has descended from previous years, but there is still a lot of work to do above all considering that not all cases are detected.

This article is merely informative, in psychology-online we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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