Verbal bullying: signs of appearance, consequences, and what to do

Bullying, or bullying, is a phenomenon that occurs in educational environments and that occurs very frequently among adolescents. In an analysis of the aggressor and victim profile, Serra-Negra, et al (2015) recognize four main types of bullying: physical, verbal, relational and indirect (which includes rumors). Other authors, such as McGuinness (2007) add "cyberbullying" as a category that deserves to be reviewed separately.

In this article we will focus specifically on describing the manifestations, consequences and interventions of verbal bullying, beginning with a definition of bullying and its main characteristics.

• Related article: "The 5 types of bullying or bullying"

Beyond the victim and the perpetrator

The term "bullying" is the neologism that refers to school bullying. Its meaning translated into Spanish is “personal intimidation” and it comes from the English “bully”, which means “to overwhelm with threats”. Likewise, "bully" can refer to the person who is cruel or intentionally aggressive towards others.

While present and recurring phenomenon in the educational context, bullying has been specially studied since the 1970s, initially in the Nordic countries after bullying-related teen suicide reported school.

The most classic definition of bullying in this context includes the repetition of aggressive and intentional actions performed by one or more students towards a member of the group; to which is added a systematic abuse of power that involves the repetition of damage and a series of inequitable relationships between members (McGuinness, 2007).

However, bullying has typically been defined and analyzed around the relationship and psychological profiles of the victim and the perpetrator, as if violent behavior had its roots and its functioning solely in these two individuals. Although the above has been very relevant, there are also other elements that activate and reproduce bullying in adolescent relationships.

• You may be interested in: "The 11 types of violence (and the different kinds of aggression)"

Causes of bullying and its social components

Salmivalli, Lagerspetz, Björkqvist, et al (1995) tell us that, by nature, bullying is a social phenomenon, as it takes place within groups that are relatively permanent. One of its main characteristics is that the victim has little chance of avoiding the perpetrators, not only because the phenomenon often remains invisible, but also because the attacks are generally supported by the other members of the group.

Therefore, bullying is also a category of aggressive behavior where there is an ambivalence of power that allows said act to be repeated in groups and periodically. It is not just a violent relationship established between an aggressor and a victim, but It is a type of violence that occurs in the context of a group, where, through determined roles, some members may reinforce the violent behavior of other members.

For the same reason, it is possible to distinguish between a relationship where there is bullying and another where there is simply a conflict, by evaluating whether or not the power relations between those involved are equitable. In other words, it is not bullying when the conflict occurs between two people who have the same positions of power.

What is verbal bullying and how does it manifest itself?

According to McGuinness (2007), various investigations have shown that verbal bullying is the most frequent bullying method. It occurs at similar rates between boys and girls, and the insults are mainly characterized by racial and gender components. In addition, the most common methods of verbal bullying are slurs, that is, false and malicious statements, mockery and calling the person with derogatory or violent nicknames.

For their part, Serra-Negra, Martins, Baccin, et al (2015) tell us that the main trigger for verbal bullying is the dynamics of acceptance of some members of the group to other members, which is influenced by factors such as the physical characteristics and socioeconomic status of all they.

In other words, in addition to the channel through which the violence is exercised (verbal, physical, etc.), the various types of intimidation can take on multiple foci. For example, offensive behavior may target gender, race, disability, or social class, among other categories.

When these characteristics do not correspond to the expectations of the group, the individual is rejected and harassed. Thus, the same authors tell us that verbal bullying is mainly motivated by the following issues:

• physical characteristics, such as obesity or very thinness, the color of the skin, the type of hair, the way of dressing, the disability, among others.
• prejudices and stereotypes religious, racial and gender, including homophobia, lesbophobia and transphobia.

Thus, the detection of verbal bullying begins with giving relevance to any statement whose content is focused on the above issues. This can be detected both at school and at home. In fact, even though bullying by definition occurs at school, it is in the comments made within the family where it often becomes more evident. Once this is detected, it can be related to individual and emotional manifestations such as the ones we will see below.

Emotional consequences of these attacks

According to Elipe, Ortega, Hunter, et al (2012), bullying can generate important emotional imbalances, which if are maintained in the medium and term, they can have very negative and differential consequences for the victim and for the aggressors. In this sense, emotional expression and regulation is one of the possible predictors of the bullying situation.

Likewise, other consequences of bullying in the person who is a victim, and which are in turn indicators of victimization, are the following:

• Desertion or school failure.
• Report excessive feelings of guilt.
• communication inhibition and in socialization.
• Repetitive psychosomatic illnesses.
• A negative assessment of himself.

Prevention and intervention strategies

Considering bullying as not only a psychological but also a social phenomenon is important because it allows us to analyze dynamics and components that sometimes go unnoticed, and that nevertheless lay the foundations on which violent interaction is generated and reproduced.

Taking the above into consideration is an essential element in planning intervention and prevention strategies for bullying, both at the family level and in the educational environment.

While the latter family and educational environment, are the two main support systems of adolescents, any alteration in both can significantly affect the course of their development (negatively and positively). We will see in broad strokes some strategies that can be carried out in both contexts.

1. In the educational environment

Different studies speak of a lower psychosocial adjustment and a low level of empathy in group members who attack others (Elipe, Ortega, Hunter, et al, 2012). In this sense, it is important that the educational environment reinforces empathy, and for this, it is necessary to know and work on the recognition schemes that exist between the different members. From there, it is necessary facilitate coexistence environments free of stereotypes and harassment.

2. In the family environment

Prevention and intervention strategies in the family environment depend to a large extent on the dynamics generated by adults.

In this sense, it is important start with a detection of bullying indicators that are present at a verbal level, and then explore what are the background schemes that are causing the adolescent to have a derogatory perception of the characteristics of the partner whom he attacks. Intervening by modifying these schemes is important to counteract the tendency to aggression.

Likewise, both in the family and at school, it is important to have detailed and reliable information about the subject, which makes it possible to carry out educational strategies based on empathy and respectful recognition of the the rest.

3. Victim empowerment

It is also important to work with the coping styles of bullying victims. For this, it is essential to start by recognizing the bullying situation and knowing that you are a victim of it. However, what follows is to reinforce the recognition of herself as a person who also can generate resources to counteract the violent relationship.

Said recognition starts from the way in which the person feels treated by adults and their reference contexts, as well as by their peers. The interaction that the victim establishes with those closest to her can reinforce the situation of vulnerability, far from counteracting it, so this is an element that must also be analyzed.

Bibliographic references:

• Serra-Negra, J., Martins, S., Bacin, C. et al. (2015). Verbal school bullying and life satisfaction among Brazilian adolescents: Profiles of the aggressor and the victim. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 57: 132-139.
• Duy, B. (2013). Teachers' attitudes towards different types of bullying and victimization in Turkey. Psychology in the Schools, 5(10): 987-1002.
• Elipe, P., Ortega, R., Hunter, S. et al (2012). Perceived emotional intelligence and involvement in various types of bullying. Behavioral Psychology, 20(1): 169-181.
• McGuinness, T. (2007). Dispelling the Myths of Bullying. Youth in Mind. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, (45) 10: 19-23.
• Scheithauer, H., Hayer, T., Petermann, F. et al. (2006). Physical, verbal and relational forms of bullying among German students: age trends, gender differences and correlates.
• Salmivalli, C., Lagarspetz, K., Björkqvst, K. et al. (1996). Bullying as a Group Process: Participant Roles and Their Relations to Social Status Within The Group. Aggressive Behavior, 22:1-15.