The 7 types of bullying and their characteristics

More and more cases of harassment are coming to light, in the majority of which the victims have been the target of a series of behaviors and humiliating behaviors carried out by another person known as the aggressor or stalker.

But bullying can take many forms and occur in a wide variety of contexts. Therefore, throughout this article we will talk about the different types of bullying, as well as the main motivations of the harassers and the consequences for the victim(s).

• Related article: "The 11 types of violence (and the different kinds of aggression)"

What is harassment?

According to the dictionary of the Royal Academy of Language, in its latest version, the concept "harassment" refers, among other things, to the action of "pursue, without respite or rest, an animal or a person", as well as the act of "insistently urging someone with discomfort or requirements”.

Of these meanings we can consider harassment as conduct of an offensive and disruptive nature in which the harassed person experiences feelings of anguish and discomfort.

For a behavior to be considered harassment, it must involve an imbalance of power between the people involved. That is, between stalker and harassed. In addition, these behaviors must be repeated over time, leading to serious consequences for the harassed person, both physical and psychological.

Therefore, the two main characteristics that we must take into account when judging conduct as harassment are:

• Repetition: the behaviors carried out by the harasser must have been carried out more than once or they may be likely to occur more often.
• Imbalance: the harasser uses her power (physical, psychological, social, etc.) to exercise control or perpetrate a series of behaviors harmful to the harassed person.

The 7 types of bullying

There are different types of behaviors that can be considered as harassment and that are legally contemplated as such. These types of harassment are as follows.

1. School harassment or bullying

One of the best known types of bullying and one that has been occurring the most in recent years is bullying. This may also be known as bullying or bullying.

School bullying is any type of abuse or psychological, verbal or physical aggression carried out within the school environment, although not necessarily within the classrooms. In other words, for it to be considered bullying, there must be a relationship that implies that both minors share the school space.

This type of bullying is distinguished by the fact that the bully repeatedly intimidates the victim, which implies an abuse of power insofar as it is carried out by a stronger aggressor or group (although this strength is only perceived by the victim).

The consequences of this abuse can be both physical and psychological. Among which are included:

• Fear of going to school.
• anxiety and nervousness.
• Depression.
• Isolation.
• Suicide.

The people who are most at risk of suffering bullying are usually either minors with some type of functional diversity, or those who are perceived as different by the rest.

2. Workplace harassment or mobbing

Workplace harassment or mobbing consists of a form of abuse that occurs within the workplace.

This harassment, which can be carried out by one or more people, occurs especially at a psychological level through of behaviors such as taunts, threats, spreading false rumors, slights or separating the victim from the rest of the group.

Despite what has been said above, there is a possibility that the harassment will end up incurring in violent behavior, thus considering it a case of mobbing with aggression.

As a consequence, the workplace becomes a powerful source of stress that can become chronic and even trigger a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

• Related article: "The 6 types of mobbing or workplace harassment"

3. psychological harassment

Also known as moral harassment, this type of harassment consists of vexatious conduct that attempts against the dignity and moral integrity of the person in order to unbalance it psychologically.

In most cases, the behaviors can be so subtle that not even the victim is aware of them. The harasser exerts a negative influence on the victim by lies, words or defamation, as well as by distorting reality.

Initially, bullying generates a feeling of instability in the victim who ends up losing confidence in both herself as in others, generating a feeling of helplessness and anxiety that can lead to depression and suicide.

• You may be interested: "Gaslighting: the most subtle emotional abuse"

4. sexual harassment

Sexual harassment refers to all types of intimidating or coercive conduct of a sexual nature.

This type of aggression can be physical, verbal or non-verbal and includes:

• Acts of physical violence, touching or unwanted approaches by the victim.
• Comments or appeals to the physical appearance or private life of the victim, as well as alleged compliments or compliments.
• Gestures of a sexual nature and whistles.

All these behaviors can have different degrees. From slightly annoying behaviors for the harassed person, to serious abuses with the purpose of leading to a possible sexual act.

5. Physical harassment or stalking

In fifth place is physical harassment, which consists of constantly and invasively persecuting the victim in order to establish a contact against the will of this.

The origin of this type of harassment usually lies in some type of obsession that the harasser develops towards the other person, carrying out behaviors such as:

• spy on the victim.
• chase her
• Make phone calls or attempts to contact her.
• threaten her.
• Violent conduct towards the harassed person.

6. Cyberbullying or cyberstalking

Also known as virtual or cyber bullying, it is the most contemporary of all types of bullying. In it, the harassing person or group uses digital media or social networks to perpetrate a series of personal offensives, spreading of confidential information or false rumours.

The main motivation of a cyberbully is to cause discomfort and psychological and emotional distress in the victim.

• Related article: "Cyberbullying: analyzing the characteristics of virtual harassment"

7. real estate harassment

Finally, one of the lesser known types of stalking is real estate stalking. In this case, they are those behaviors carried out by the owners of a home or property with the purpose that the tenants leave the domicile or rescind the rental contract against their will.

These behaviors can range from cutting off water, electricity or gas supplies; to the refusal to make repairs to the home or intentionally cause damage to it.