What is verbal bullying?
Words are powerful. When it comes to bullying, sometimes verbal bullying can result in deeper wounds long-term than physical bullying.
As mentioned in our bullying prevention programs blog post, verbal bullying is one of the four types of bullying. According to stopbullying.gov, The verbal bullying definition is the act of saying or writing mean or hurtful things. Verbal bullying examples include:
- Teasing
- Name-calling
- Inappropriate sexual comments
- Taunting
- Threatening to cause harm
The goal of verbal bullying is to degrade and demean the victim in order to make the aggressor appear dominant and powerful. It is also common for verbal bullies to target kids with special needs
Effects of Verbal Bullying
Research shows that verbal bullying and name-calling have serious consequences and can leave deep emotional scars that carry on into adulthood. According to bullyingstatistics.org, verbal bullying can affect someone in various emotional and psychological ways, including:
- Low self-esteem/self-image
- Depression
- Cutting/self-harm
- Substance abuse (drinking and/or drug use)
- And in extreme cases, teen suicide
How to stop verbal bullying
According to verywellfamily.com, verbal bullying is often very difficult to identify because attacks almost always occur when adults aren’t around. As a result, it is often one person’s word against another person’s word. It is difficult to deal with verbal bullies, but there are some tactics your child can use to help stop the aggressor. Bullyingstatistics.org recommends the following actions to victims of verbal bullying:
- Ignore the bully: Shrug off insults and provide no reaction; there is a chance that eventually the bully will move on to someone who provides a more interesting and responsive target.
- Tell an authority figure: A trusted teacher, parent or coach can help the situation by being on the lookout for bullying behavior.
- Remain civil: Do not resort to rudeness yourself. Many bullies lose interest if you do not sink to their level. Also, if you act rudely and aggressively yourself, you may invite a physical confrontation, which could add physical hurts to the emotional.
- Try to focus on your friends: If your child has loyal friends, encourage him or her to focus on those friends so that they have some positive influences. Additionally, a victim that is surrounded by friends can dissuade a verbal bully from engaging.
- Look for others sources of enjoyment: After school activities and other interests and hobbies can help you take your mind off of the verbal bullying.
How Just Say YES Can Help
Book a Just Say YES bullying prevention program today for your campus. Students will come to understand the four different types of bullying, how to prevent bullying by treating others with kindness and respect, and what to do if they see bullying or are victims of bullying behavior. As for our educator and parent programs, audiences will learn how to keep the lines of communication open with students, how to properly address bullying behavior to the bully, and how to support kids who are being bullied.
Contact us today to learn more about our bullying prevention programs!
