Verbal bullying is a type of bullying that involves the use of hurtful words, teasing, insults, slurs, or verbal threats to intimidate or emotionally harm the victim. This type of bullying can have serious and lasting effects on the self-esteem and mental health of the person affected. The truth is that bullying is a social scourge that currently has an exaggerated global prevalence. It is stated that around 20% of students have suffered bullying at some point in their lives. The bullying most used by aggressors is psychological bullying, followed by verbal and physical bullying in third place.
In the following Psychology-Online article we will explain in detail what is verbal bullying, consequences and how to prevent it.
Index
- What is verbal bullying
- Causes of verbal bullying
- Consequences of verbal bullying
- How to prevent verbal bullying
What is verbal bullying.
Verbal bullying is a type of bullying in which the aggressor uses vexatious words or expressions
The purpose of each and every one of these unpleasant verbal acts is to verbally assault the victim, scare her, belittle her and break her dignity.
Causes of verbal bullying.
The causes of verbal bullying are not very far from the causes that drive the rest of the aggressions included in school bullying. Below we show you the main reasons that can lead to situations of verbal bullying:
- In the case of the offender: is usually a child with a history of lack of impulse control, low tolerance for frustration, insecurity concealed with arrogance and aggressiveness, manipulative and with an authoritarian or permissive education in excess. These are students who have not been educated in respect and in the establishment of clear limits. During their childhood, they were either abused (physically or verbally) and, as a consequence of accumulated resentment and for not having better role models, are currently repeating aggressive parental patterns, or their actions were fully permitted without the incorporation of any kind of limit and now they are unable to stop at nothing, especially because of their high level of intolerance to frustration.
- In the case of the victim: It is usually a physically and/or psychologically "weak" person who presents the perfect profile to be attacked by an aggressor who seeks to easily magnify her ego. The students who suffer abuse, as it happens with the aggressors, incredible as it may seem, present the same base of insecurity and lack of self-esteem. Its origin, in this case, is usually due to child inattention that has made them believe they are worthless.
- passive observers: Another important determining factor in the final manifestation of bullying is the group of passive observers who either do not report the vexatious situation observed or, worse, reinforce and feed it. These students, again due to insecurity, fear or feeling integrated, behave in this way, giving rise to bullying situations.
However, there are cases of bullying in which the victim did not present any childhood traumatic situation prior to the bullying, but due to specific characteristics such as simplicity, good heart, excellent academic results, etc they suddenly become victims of bullying, with the unpleasant negative consequences that this unfortunate experience will have on their lives.
Consequences of verbal bullying.
Verbal bullying can cause a host of serious consequences for the victim, including fear, blockade and paralysis, learned helplessness, complete loss of self esteem, motivation and vital joy, anxiety, depressionthoughts of suicide...
The verbal harassment to which the victim is repeatedly subjected causes in her an atrocious fear of the aggressor, increasing the feeling of little worth. This fearful situation generates strong states of anxiety due to the panic of reliving such mockery and humiliation. As a result, the victims of verbal bullying lose or devalue their ability to manifest and express themselves, resigning themselves to remain silent, isolated, almost invisible and, over time, they incorporate this way of life as own.
If the harassment exceeds certain limits, it can cause such states of anxiety in the victim that they encourage them to have thoughts of suicide or even to carry it out.
How to prevent verbal bullying.
Taking into account the high percentages of bullying and subsequent school suicide that currently are coming to light, preventing any type of bullying must become a social priority. For this, it is vitally important create a prevention plan that actively involves each and every one of the members of the educational community.
Bullying cases are not only the responsibility of the aggressors and their families, but also of the rest of the students, families, teachers and even the management team and relatives of the victim. Everyone must be an active part of the solution to the problem. It is about creating a generalized environment of respect, total intolerance towards abuses and union of the entire educational community to create a spirit of coexistence that does not accommodate these attitudes.
Learn to treat yourself well, to respond in a calm and friendly way, even in the face of the small mistakes of our colleagues, without judging and trying to see the virtues in others will help to incorporate another way of life in which bullying has no chance of manifest. In this article you will find more information about How to prevent the bullying.
How to intervene in cases of bullying
With respect to how to intervene in the event of verification of a case of verbal bullying, as a first emergency measure it will be convenient strengthen the victim emotionally and psychologically,always with the active participation of the family.
Subsequently, in order to eradicate the root problem, it will be essential to intervention with the aggressor, the observers and their families. On the other hand, the work to raise awareness among teachers, the management team and families of the educational community will form It is also part of the intervention process to achieve a definitive end to any type of bullying present or future.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is verbal bullying, consequences and how to prevent it, we recommend that you enter our category of Social psychology.
