Bullying Types, Signs, Impact & How to Deal with Bullying?

What is Bullying?

Bullying is an act of disturbing, annoying, or hurting other people physically or psychologically.

These actions can be in the form of verbal, social, or physical violence that is carried out repeatedly and over time.

Etymologically, the origin of the word bullying means a bully, namely someone who likes to bother the weak.

According to the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPA), bullying is oppression or intimidation (lowering) carried out intentionally by one person or a stronger group.

This action is done continuously with the intention of hurting.

Causes of Bullying

There are a number of factors that cause bullying that make someone vulnerable to bullying or become someone who does bullying.

Here are a number of risk factors:

1. Causes of bullying victims

There are several causes that put someone at risk of becoming a victim of bullying, such as:

• The victim has physical and psychological deficiencies and therefore feels excluded.
• Not good at communicating.
• Less able to defend himself.
• Having low self-confidence.
• Have few friends.

2. Causes of bullying

In addition, parents also need to know several conditions that increase the risk of children becoming perpetrators of bullying, such as:

• Having low self-control and not feeling responsible for actions taken.
• Carrying out bullying as a form of revenge.
• Having been a victim of violence before, he always felt threatened.
• Always want to control and dominate.
• It’s hard to appreciate other people.
• Living in a family that often fights and is violent.
• Hanging out with peers who are supporters or spectators of bullying.
• Weak supervision in schools.
• Mass media often shows acts of violence.

Types of Bullying

There are many types of bullying that you need to know.

According to UNICEF, there are three characteristics of bullying behavior, namely intentional, repeated or to gain power.

Not only that, this action can also be done directly or online. 

Online bullying, aka cyberbullying, can occur via social media, instant messaging, email, and other platforms that allow interaction.

Bullying actions are also divided into six categories, including:

1. Direct physical contact

Bullying behavior that targets physical targets is generally easy to identify.

These actions include hitting, pushing, biting, pulling, pinching, and scratching.

Locking someone in a room, blackmailing, and damaging other people’s belongings are also acts of bullying.

2. Direct verbal contact

Bullying can also take the form of threats, belittling, insulting, mocking, cursing, intimidating and harassing.

Name-calling, sarcasm, and spreading fake news are also considered verbal bullying.

3. Direct non-verbal behavior

Examples of non-verbal bullying include sneering, sticking out the tongue, and showing a condescending, mocking, or threatening expression.

However, these non-verbal actions are generally carried out together with physical and verbal actions.

4. Indirect non-verbal behavior

In fact, bullying can also occur non-verbally and indirectly.

Examples include manipulating friendships so that they break up, and intentionally isolating or ignoring or ignoring someone.

5. Cyberbullying

In this era of technology, bullying is also rampant online.

For example, by creating videos or other content that intimidates someone via social media.

6. Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is also a form of bullying. This behavior can be physical or verbal aggression.

Aggression is behavior that is done intentionally to cause physical or mental harm to someone.

7. Emotional bullying

This happens when someone tries to get what they want, but in a way that makes the other person (the victim) feel angry, scared, anxious, or uncomfortable.

Emotional bullying can cause mental health problems in its victims.

Examples of emotional bullying include mocking, teasing, threatening, belittling, lying, and humiliating the victim.

The effects that can arise from bullying should not be underestimated because it can disrupt mental conditions, especially if it occurs to children.

Signs of Bullying

Signs of bullying need to be known as a preventive measure. Children and teenagers are age groups that are vulnerable to bullying.

Therefore, parents need to supervise and give full attention to their children.

The following are the characteristics of children who receive bullying :

• Not all children can be open about the bullying they experience. Therefore, parents need to observe their emotional state. Children who experience bullying are generally always restless, anxious, and alert.
• Experiencing signs of physical abuse, such as bruises, cuts, scratches, or unusual scars.
• Reluctant or afraid to go to school or attend school events.
• Sudden loss of friends or constant avoidance of social situations.
• Loss or damage to electronics, clothing or other personal items.
• Often asks for money for unclear reasons.
• Declining academic achievement at school.
• Often plays truant or asks to go home from school.
• Always want to be near adults to feel safe.
• Having trouble sleeping or even having nightmares.
• Complaining of pain in the stomach, head, or other parts of the body.
• Feeling stressed after using gadgets or computers.
• Being secretive or as if keeping a secret.
• Becoming aggressive or having sudden outbursts of anger

The Difference Between Taunting and Bullying

Often, parents and children cannot differentiate between teasing and bullying.

Although both are negative things, here are the differences between teasing and bullying :

1. Mockery

• Done just for fun.
• It takes verbal forms, such as cursing or teasing about clothing.
• Mimicking actions for the purpose of mocking.
• Do not intimidate.
• Tends not to be repetitive

2. Bullying

• To show power
• It takes various forms, it can be physical, social, verbal, or cyber actions.
• Involves threats and intimidation to get the victim to comply.
• Done over and over again.
• Causes physical and psychological injury.

The Impact of Bullying

The impact of bullying not only targets the victim but also the bully and those who watch this action.

This action has a negative impact on children’s physical and mental health.

In severe cases, bullying can cause depression and even lead to violent acts.

Here are the impacts you need to be aware of:

1. Impact on victims

Here are some of the impacts of bullying on victims, such as:

1. Physical

Bullying victims can experience several side effects on their physical health.

For example, such as headaches, muscle pain, stomach ache, weight changes, and decreased body immunity.

Of course, this condition carries the risk of increasing various diseases or health problems.

2. Mental disorders

Not only physical, the impact of bullying also risks causing mental health problems.

Starting from restlessness, anxiety, feeling afraid all the time, getting angry more easily, to depression.

3. Academic

Bullying can also affect a person’s academic condition.

Starting from reducing analytical skills, affecting focus and attention, to reducing productivity.

If a child experiences drastic changes in academics, parents should not ignore the condition.

4. Social relationship disorders

Bullying also risks causing negative impacts on a person’s social relationships.

Usually, this condition can cause a decrease in trust in other people and difficulty in socializing.

5. Decreased quality of life

Bullying victims can also experience a decreased quality of life.

Decreased self-confidence, use of illegal drugs, and the desire to harm oneself are conditions that are at risk of occurring due to bullying.

2. Impact on the perpetrator

• Behaving aggressively and impulsively.
• Have high self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Not afraid to use violence.
• Strong-willed.
• Always want to dominate others.
• Lack of empathy with other people.
• By bullying, they feel they have power.
• Easy to get angry.
• Potentially criminal.
• Be rude.
• At risk of getting into legal trouble.

3. Impact on those who witness

• Trauma.
• Feeling like a bad person.
• Feeling stressed.
• Stress.
• Afraid.
• Feel guilty.
• Often avoids problems.
• Worried.

How to Deal with Bullying

One way to overcome bullying is by using social recovery interventions (rehabilitation).

This is an intervention process that provides a clear picture to the bully that his actions cannot be tolerated.

Here are ways to deal with bullying in children that parents need to do:

1. Try to get closer to your child

One of the big roles in bullying cases is the parenting style of parents.

Parents should try to apply parenting patterns that are tailored to the child’s emotional needs.

Try to approach your child and build better and more positive communication.

The goal is for children to be more open so that parents can more easily identify the source of the problem that triggers bullying behavior.

2. Help children control stress

Children tend not to know how to properly manage stress.

If the bullying that children do is their way of venting, parents should teach them about managing stress.

One way to do this is by inviting them to do positive activities, such as exercising, spending time with their parents or doing other activities they enjoy.

3. Monitor gadget usage

Parents also need to limit gadget use in children. Also, make sure that father and mother can supervise what content they can watch.

Don’t let your child watch content that is dangerous or not appropriate for his/her age. This can lead to bullying.

Parents can use the filter feature on the related application to select content that is safe and age-appropriate for their children.

4. Discipline children without violence

Don’t hesitate to discipline your child immediately if he/she shows signs of bullying.

However, it is forbidden to discipline them by violent means.

Use positive methods, such as familiarizing children with routines, explaining the consequences of making mistakes, and giving praise for good behavior.

Because bullying behavior often occurs in schools, here are some things that teachers, parents, and peers need to do:

• Teachers must take this incident seriously.
• Appreciate and thank students who have reported.
• Reassure the victim that the action he or she is receiving is not his or her fault.
• Show empathy.
• Help the victim to be able to defend himself.
• Offer your child something to make him feel safe.
• Talk to each child involved in the bullying separately. Avoid blaming, criticizing, or yelling at them to their face. Encourage them to be honest and appreciate their honesty.
• Take firm action against the bully. Inform the child, his/her parents, and the class about the development of the case.
• Follow up with the perpetrator regarding progress made thereafter.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for external help if the impact is very significant.

How to Prevent Bullying

Bullying prevention can be done by talking to children about what they consider to be good and bad behavior at school, in the local environment, and on social media.

Make sure parents have open communication with their children so they feel comfortable telling them anything that is happening in their lives.

Carry out comprehensive and integrated bullying prevention. This preventive step can start from children, families, schools, and communities.

1. Prevention through children

Teach children to be able to detect the potential for bullying as early as possible.

Encourage them to fight against the bullying that happens to them.

Here are some things mothers can do to prevent bullying in the family:

• Avoid groups that like to bully.
• Teach children to choose the right playgroup.
• Introduce your child to adults who can help them when they are being bullied. For example, a teacher or a counselor at a specific location.
• Teach children to process their emotions when they experience bullying.
• Ask your child to always be open and tell you about any form of bullying that occurs.

2. Prevention from family

Families can take several preventive measures to prevent children from being bullied, such as:

• Strengthen parenting patterns that teach love for others and instill religious values.
• Create a loving and safe environment.
• Build children’s self-confidence.
• Cultivate his sense of courage.
• Instill firmness in him.
• Teach ethics and inspire empathy so that children can respect and care for others.
• Don’t hesitate to give a reprimand when he makes a mistake.
• Always accompany children in absorbing information from television, the internet, and other electronic media.

3. Prevention at school

The following are preventive measures for bullying that schools can take:

• Creating a prevention system in the form of a message to students that the school does not accept bullying behavior at school and creating an “anti-bullying” policy.
• Build effective communication between teachers and students.
• Regularly open discussion spaces and lectures regarding bullying behavior in schools.
• Create a safe, comfortable, and conducive school environment.
• Providing assistance to students who are victims of bullying.
• Conduct regular meetings with parents or school committees.
• Teach children about the negative impacts of bullying.
• Increase children’s self-confidence by providing support to children.
• Make sure teachers set an example for students by respecting all members of the school.
• Remind students to always help and provide protection to victims of bullying.
• Invite students to do lots of positive activities that they like.

4. Prevention in the community

One example is by building community groups that care about child protection, starting from the village or hamlet level.

In society, there are several things that can be useful as prevention, such as:.

• Teach youth groups to do various social activities.
• Building community groups that care about child protection. This can be started from the village/sub-district level (Community-Based Integrated Child Protection: PATBM).

Children need to be familiar with various preventive measures from an early age.

This is because bullying can happen anytime. So, where can bullying happen?

These reprehensible actions can occur in school, work, family, and even friendship environments.

So, it’s best to make sure children know the specific impacts on both victims and perpetrators.